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)

David Gray

Life in Slow Motion
ATO (2005)

I'd like to begin this review by thanking the kind people at Dictionary.com and Google.com for their unwitting assistance in the writing of this here review. God bless you. boring adj. Uninteresting and tiresome; dull. boring adv. boringness n. Synonyms: boring, monotonous, tedious, irksome, tiresome, humdrum These adjectives refer to what is so uninteresting as to cause mental weariness. Boring implies feelings of listlessness and discontent: I had never read such a boring book. What is monotonous bores because of lack of variety: "There is nothing so desperately monotonous as the sea" (James Russell Lowell). Tedious suggests dull slowness or long-windedness: Traveling by plane avoids spending tedious days on the train. Irksome describes what is demanding of time and effort and yet is dull and often unrewarding: "I know and feel what an irksome task the writing of long letters is" (Edmund Burke). Something tiresome fatigues because it seems to be interminable or to be marked by unremitting sameness: "What a tiresome being is a man who is fond of talking" (Benjamin Jowett). Humdrum refers to what is commonplace, trivial, or unexcitingly routine: My quiet cousin led a humdrum existence. bland adj. blander, blandest 1. Characterized by a moderate, unperturbed, … Read more

Immolation

Harnessing Ruin
Olympic (2005)

Hey Immolation, I just received a call from 1989 and they want their music back. Harnessing Ruin is the sixth … Read more

American Werewolves

1968
Fractured Transmitter (2005)

If you were to randomly walk into a concert venue while American Werewolves were performing you would be extremely fortunate. … Read more

A Day in Black and White

Notes
Level Plane (2005)

On Notes, A Day in Black and White's debut full-length, they get to point quickly; in one minute and twenty … Read more

Logh

A Sunset Panorama
Hydra Head (2005)

Is Sweden even cold? Whenever I think of Northern Europe, I think of mountains, yodelers, and folks with Princess Leia … Read more

Ulver

Blood Inside
Jester (2005)

Have you heard the myth about prisoners stubbing out cigarettes into a bucket of water in order to create enough … Read more

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One from the archives

Tiger Army

Music from Regions Beyond
Hellcat (2007)

First things first, where the bloody hell is the Roman numeral? This is Tiger Army IV: Music from Regions Beyond, not just Music from Regions Beyond. I feel a little lost and confused with a Tiger Army album title like this. And only eleven tracks? Who is in charge here? I demand they get back in the studio and give me my twelfth and thirteenth tracks"¦ But then again, after the regular pre-album line up change (at least some things never change) this is a new beast entirely. The Tiger Army of old is dead; maybe in his old age Mr. 13 is mellowing. He even allows someone else to sit at the mixing desk of his baby for the first time in the form of A.F.I./Morrissey producer Jerry Finn. … Read more

More album reviews

Maria Taylor

11:11
Saddle Creek (2005)

A spotlight can show a lot about a person. Over the course of her career Maria Taylor has been, arguably, the driving force behind both the bands Azure Ray and Now It's Overhead, as well as lending her talents to various other artists including Crooked Fingers and Moby. Despite gaining moderate recognition for her work with groups, Taylor's delicate style … Read more

Project X

Straight Edge Revenge (Reissue)
Bridge Nine (2005)

"I'm as straight as the line that you sniff up your nose / I'm as hard as the booze that you swill down your throat / I'm as bad as the shit you breathe into your lungs / And I'll fuck you up as fast as the pill on your tongue / STRAIGHT EDGE REVENGE!" Oh. Fuck. Yes. There's no … Read more

Killing the Dream

In Place, Apart
Deathwish Inc. (2005)

It wasn't too that ago that Killing the Dream was just a band with a demo. Upon first hearing said demo, I shared it with every single person that I knew telling them "this band is going to be huge." So maybe they're not selling out amphitheatres, but Killing the Dream are signed to one of hardcore's largest labels and … Read more

Dead Blonde Girlfriend

Dead Blonde Girlfriend
Art Monkey (2005)

Joie Blaney is, or at least, was a musical anomaly. Under the guise of Joie Dead Blonde Girlfriend, he plays an acoustic guitar faster and louder than any punk band. He sings his songs with the soul of a poet and with the voice of a cement mixer. He writes from the heart. He writes honestly and never once complains. … Read more

The Distance

If You Lived Here You'd be Home Already
Think Fast! (2005)

When middle-school seemed too far away and Goosebumps represented literature, birthday parties were the fucking shit. I'd eat cake, party hard and take the occasional peak up a dress. Okay, 33% of that was a lie. The only negative aspect was having to get a birthday present for the little sucker. But, by the end of the night I would … Read more

Test Icicles

For Screening Purposes Only
Domino (2005)

If you believe the hype currently going around then you must think that the UK music scene is at its strongest since Oasis and Blur fought over the Brit-pop crown or perhaps even when The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays were teaching the kids to take drugs and dance. Test Icicles are seen to be one of those leading … Read more

Coliseum / Doomriders

Not of This World
Level Plane (2005)

At a recent Coliseum show, vocalist/guitarist Ryan Patterson made mention that Glenn Danzig was a big influence and source of inspiration for him for years. On Not of This World both Coliseum and Doomriders pay tribute to that man. Although short by most standards, this split EP packs enough of a wallop that it shames a majority of the full-lengths … Read more

Ringworm

Justice Replaced by Revenge
Victory (2005)

It's rather sad that a band as influential as Ringworm has been reduced to being promoted as 'featuring members of Terror.' By no means is this a knock at Terror, they're a solid band and extremely entertaining in a live setting. But Ringworm is a band that has been around for over a decade. During that time the band released … Read more

Anchorage / Lies in the Effort

Split
I Ate Her (2005)

I don't like split releases. They annoy me because I would rather hear an EP by the two separate bands to digest it completely before I am being forced to listen to another band's output on the same disc. Also, you never hear anyone say that a split is their favorite record of all time because quite frankly splits just … Read more

Grace Gale

A Few Easy Steps to Secure Heli-Camel Safety
Blackout! (2005)

At any point in time you may catch me watching television, usually an Aqua Teen Hunger Force DVD, Comedy Central, or Cartoon Network. However, lately, I've been watching The Food Network almost nonstop. No, seriously. So with my diligent viewing of shows like 'Food 911!' and 'Inside Dish with Rachael Ray' I've decided to present you with the following recipe. … Read more

Byla

Byla
Translation Loss (2005)

Byla is an ambient duo consisting of members of Dysrhytmia, Behold the Arctopus, and Infidel?/Castro!. The two started to work together in 2003 and have put out their debut full-length this year on Translation Loss Records. Despite the fact that their other bands are known for making either noise (Infidel?/Castro!) or being a technical debauchery (Behold the Arctopus), this band … Read more

Exodus

Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Nuclear Blast (2005)

We've all heard the stories. Someone leaves your favorite band and the remaining members have two choices.... carry on or pack it in. It doesn't mean shit to a tree why the member left - whether they were kicked out, quit, or had a bus roll over on them, the point is they're gone, and as popular as the band … Read more

Neshamah

Communicating in Heartbeats
Witchdoctor (2005)

If you ask me, there's no musical genre more ripe to be picked from the tree of potential and placed into the basket of commercial acceptance than South African Christian Hardcore (SACH). Yes, a bold and untapped market is just waiting for us to shell out our Krugerrands and spread the joys of Jesus. What's that you say? You're not … Read more

Sunn 0)))

Black One
Southern Lord (2005)

This is the sound of being stalked by some unnamed horror that you are too afraid to turn around and see. The suspense builds and wanes and builds more to the harrowing climax leaving you with only the droning aftermath to contemplate that anxiety attack that you may have just experienced. What a deliciously terrifying opening to an album. Sunn … Read more

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

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