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For Science

Revenge for Hire
Don Giovanni (2006)

Fuck yeah. I live for records like this. The tunes are fast, snotty as hell, impassioned, and stick in your head for days. The lyrics are clever and charming, yet poignant at the same time. But really, the whole thing is more than the sum of its commendable parts, which add up to make Revenge for Hire one of the … Read more

Isis

In the Absence of Truth
Ipecac (2006)

Isis has easily become a standard for the "post-" jet setter. Their latest album, In the Absence of Truth is a good example why this is happening. If not for the band, then the Red Sparowes' (with whom Isis shares a member), Cult of Luna's, and the host of imitators and admirers would have no one to look to for … Read more

Gamenight

Simple Starts in the Mind
The New Beat (2006)

In the mid to late nineties, there was an overwhelming flood of new bands practicing the musical style known as emo. At that point, the three-letter term covered a much wider range of rock groups. Bands that would now be neatly separated into sub-categories like shoegaze, math-rock, or post-punk were openly embraced by all that considered themselves emo fans. Ironically … Read more

Robert Pollard

Normal Happiness
Merge (2006)

After the now-legendary, myth-making years in the basement with a guy named Tobin and the other Mitch Mitchell working shamelessly towards what would become Bee Thousand (while still teaching middle school Social Studies, no less) and Spin's review naming same "Record of the Year," some say it's all been downhill for Pollard and his raving gangs of rockers. And how … Read more

Count the Hours

We Don't Care
Panic (2006)

I think this is the type of hardcore that the kids with camo shorts and black running shoes are calling "amazingcore." There is a new crop of expressively distraught hardcore bands that place their hearts on their sleeve much like emotional hardcore bands did so unapologetically in the 90's. These "amazingcore" bands not only reap the benefits ripping their hearts … Read more

Intronaut

Void
Goodfellow (2006)

Intronaut is a four piece from California made up of members of Uphill Battle, Impaled, Exhumed, and Anubis Rising, although they sound nothing like I remember these other bands. Intronaut sounds more like a technical metal band with jazz-like flourishes. Void is their first full-length after the wittily monikered EP, Null. "A Monolithic Vulgarity" leads off Void like a jazz … Read more

Lupe Fiasco

Food & Liquor
Atlantic (2006)

"Yes, yes, yes. Guess who's on third? Lupe still like Lupin the Third." Little did we know that our introduction to Lupe Fiasco on Kanye West's "Touch the Sky" was merely a taste of what this Chicago native had to offer. While not a complete unknown, Lupe's previous appearances had mostly fallen under the radar. After numerous Internet leaks and … Read more

DJ Shadow

The Outsider
Universal/Motown (2006)

Spending much of the time since 2002's ENDtroducing with his producing hat on, DJ Shadow has finally returned to our stereos with The Outsider. A return that sees him take a massive shift in style. Crass rapping styles, questionable lyrical content, and some gunshots filtering through the background adds just too much of a touch of Tim Westwood that is … Read more

Pound for Pound

For Our Fallen Brothers
Surprise Attack (2006)

Pound for Pound hail from Springfield, Illinois, not to be confused with the hometown of The Simpsons, as the true location of that fictional town has never been pinpointed. However, if Pound for Pound were to hail from that specific Springfield, I think the band would be best represented by the likes of Nelson, Kearney, Dolph, and Jimbo. Okay, I'm … Read more

Multiple Authors

Converge

No Heroes
Epitaph (2006)

In its recent history, Converge is responsible for two of the most unique and cathartic albums in the history of extreme music, Jane Doe and You Fail Me. Of course, you can't deny Converge's long, rich heritage going back to the early '90s. Unlike very few bands in their genre, Converge have not only survived, but thrived and strengthened. Jane … Read more

Multiple Authors

Converge

No Heroes
Epitaph (2006)

After rock and roll's pop ascension in the postwar era, the recording industry adopted the practice of "front-loading" albums, situating the strongest songs at the beginning. This serves several purposes: it sells the album to skeptical listeners (such as radio programmers, distributors and consumers), and it enables bands who don't have enough material to compete in the LP realm to … Read more

The Hold Steady

Boys and Girls in America
Vagrant (2006)

Do you remember being just a small child, rifling your dirty paws through the cereal box trying to fish out the prize at the bottom of the box? No? Okay let's flash forward about ten years; what about when you were sitting at the dinner table thinking how you were going to get those same dirty paws down your boy/girlfriend's … Read more

She Killed Poetry

Shut Out the Silence
Imagine It (2006)

Mediocrity is not a hard thing to come by in the metalcore genre. In fact, since every metalcore band has decided to rip off Prayer for Cleansing and Heaven Shall Burn, metalcore has become a little too stagnant in this As All That Killswitch Remains Dying "scene." She Killed Poetry would easily fall off the radar for me, for this … Read more

Across Five Aprils

Collapse
Indianola (2006)

December 14, 1999: Poison the Well's Opposite of December was re-released and marked the end of metallic hardcore as everyone before it. Before "Nerdy" made all the mixtapes there was a quite of few metallic edged hardcore bands like Cleveland's apocalyptic Integrity, San Diego's depressive Unbroken, and Vegan Militants Earth Crisis whom all played palmed muted e-chord chugga chugga until … Read more

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