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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)

Ceremony

Violence Violence
Malfunction (2006)

My buddy Dave said it best: "This shit makes me want to punch a whale." Ridiculous? Perhaps. But Ceremony's first full-length, Violence Violence is completely ridiculous. And I mean that as a compliment in every way. They released their Ruined 7" not too long ago and the hardcore hype train started a-chuggin'. You'd see kids in Ceremony hoodies and tees telling you it was the best 7" they'd ever heard. I heard names dropped - Infest came up the most. People swore their lives by this band. Generally, if this happens, one of two things can result: the band is a trendy, derivative piece of crap or, every once in a while, the product matches up with the hype. Here's your chance to decide; I already have. Violence Violence opens with a creepy intro of an arpeggio chord plucked over and over again, giving a sense of dissonant doom, of the impending plane wreck that is to come. You hear the feedback rising and then BAM!, it's right into "Ghosts." "You will find things about yourself that you will soon forget," screams vocalist Ross Farrar as massively thick guitars thrash past your ears. A distorted bass and near blast beat … Read more

The First Step

What We Know
Rivalry (2006)

Almost ten years ago the California hardcore band Chain of Strength asked, "Has the edge gone dull?" The edge hasn't … Read more

Ministry

Rio Grande Blood
13th Planet (2006)

Al Jourgensen doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve; he rips it out of his chest and smothers the bloody, … Read more

Panic

Circles
Reflections (2006)

In hardcore's early '80s halcyon days, the EP became the coin of the realm: a handful of songs, often over … Read more

Islands

Return to the Sea
Equator (2006)

Islands is the kind of band that has the ability to suck you into their creative vortex and draw from … Read more

Casey Jones

The Messenger
Eulogy (2006)

Casey Jones, for those not in the know, is an unapologetically straightedge hardcore band. Originally a side project of Evergreen … Read more

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One from the archives

Set Your Goals

This Will Be the Death of Us
Epitaph (2009)

Set Your Goals follows up their debut album, Mutiny!, with yet another fusion of pop punk and scarce hardcore elements. For those of you unfamiliar with Mutiny!, let me sum it up for you in a few brief sentences. It was light and fun. It was catchy at times. Yeah, I kind of dug it, but it got pretty textbook at times. Don't get me wrong, Mutiny! had its moments despite being almost embarrassingly cheesy at times, but how long could this brand of pop punk really hold my interest? Sure, it was fun to play on the car ride home and occasionally while kicking it, but was there really anything beyond that? There must be a reason why my high school self used to feel so enthused and empowered … Read more

More album reviews

Peeping Tom

Peeping Tom
Ipecac (2006)

It's been a long wait for the debut album of Mike Patton's Peeping Tom project. About six years to be exact, but let's cut him a little slack, it's not like he hasn't been busy. Between Fantômas, Lovage, Tomahawk, various John Zorn or solo projects and now acting, I don't know how the fuck he even finds time to do … Read more

Junius

Blood is Bright
Radar (2006)

I could attempt a witty introduction for this review, but both you and I know that you never read the first paragraph of these reviews. It's just witty banter or some lame story that attempts to tie in with the band's release. So to cut to the chase, what we have here is Boston-based rockers Junius' new EP, Blood is … Read more

Ampere / Sinaloa

Split
Ebullition (2006)

No bullshit, no posing. Just two of the best bands in the DIY hardcore scene releasing a split together. Nearly half an hour of new music for you to feast your ears on. Ampere dominates the first seven tracks, with an emphasis very much on the domination. Furious, chaotic emo-violence very much in the vain of Orchid which could be … Read more

Sweetthieves

View From a Glass Tower
Independent (2006)

Not too long ago, I was talking about a small band out of Providence, Rhode Island making references to some of my favorite bands, and telling you how this said band is full of musical talent. Well, I'm back again to reassure it, with Sweetthieves' first full length. Their demo showed some refreshing music, but it was just as taste … Read more

Constants

The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril
Radar (2006)

I'm a sucker for sprawling, epic rock music. Mogwai, Isis, M83, etc... You name it, I'm in. There's just something about music that slowly draws you in and hypnotizes you that really fuels my engine. About six months ago, my band was scheduled to play a show at this awful venue that pretty much everyone avoids. Of course, we ended … Read more

Multiple Authors

AFI

Decemberunderground
Interscope (2006)

The precursor to Decemberunderground was that it was a change from what AFI have offered before. Of course, all that is to be expected. The AFI paradigm has some inbuilt concept that they must always change and evolve. Antecedents of more electronic elements, with VNV Nation's Ronan Harris drafted in to help, even more epics and some threat or other … Read more

Multiple Authors

AFI

Decemberunderground
Interscope (2006)

For AFI, the name of the game has always been about evolution. About "out-doing" themselves one time after another. I can't say that they haven't, because each record has had it's own significant changes, some more noticeable than others, but they still retain part of their roots. Decemberunderground retains the (usually) well-placed aggression and excellent pop sensibilities that were present … Read more

Multiple Authors

AFI

Decemberunderground
Interscope (2006)

AFI managed to write over 100 songs for this album. That's an amazing feat for a band, right? But anyone can write a catchy song. If a band has to write a hundred songs and then choose the best ones, think of all the crap that had to be weeded out, or maybe it was quite the contrary. "Reivers Music" … Read more

Multiple Authors

AFI

Decemberunderground
Interscope (2006)

There are certain phrases that seem to be ever-present in AFI reviews across the music journalism world, suggesting either a lack of originality on the writer's part, or merely a convenient pigeon-hole that the band fall easily into. Either way, let's get some of them out of the way now:goth-punkdark popgloomycatharticThe CureThe MisfitsgothRobert Smithgoth-rock"that girly singer" Okay, now those are … Read more

Morrissey

Ringleader of the Tormentors
Sanctuary (2006)

Age gives you a great sense of proportion. You can be very hard on yourself when you're younger but now I just think...well everybody's absolutely mad and I'm doing quite well. Age shouldn't affect you. It's just like the size of your shoes - they don't determine how you live your life! You're either marvelous or you're boring, regardless of … Read more

This is Hell

Sundowning
Trustkill (2006)

This sounds like what could have been the missing link between American Nightmare's two full-length LPs, the straightforward brilliance of Background Music and the more eccentric but equally great We're Down 'Til We're Underground; This Is Hell are certainly keeping hardcore fresh and new-sounding, but they're not straying so far away from their roots as to render them unrecognizable. I'll … Read more

The Black Heart Procession

The Spell
Touch & Go (2006)

The Black Heart Procession has been producing challenging, dark indie rock for almost ten years now. Formed by members of the band Three Mile Pilot - who will also be releasing a new album sometime this year or next after an extended absence since 1998 - The Black Heart Procession have consistently released some of the moodiest sounding albums on … Read more

Banner Pilot

Pass the Poison
Arsenic Records (2006)

For anyone who is not from the Upper Midwest, the first thing they will think about when it comes to the climate is how freaking cold it gets in the Winter. This is especially true when it comes to the frozen tundra of my home state of Minnesota. Hell, even Minneapolis won a Weather Channel countdown as the coldest city … Read more

Murder By Death

In Bocca Al Lupo
East West/Tent Show (2006)

Music is an art, and oftentimes musicians will use their art to tell a story - concept albums have become increasingly popular in recent years. Murder by Death dabbled in this genre with their previous effort, Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left of Them?. And while they have cast aside the extended storyline from their new full-length, In … Read more

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