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Above this Fire

In Perspective
Life Sentence (2005)

Above this Fire is a band that I have known since their very inception, a band that I have been able to watch as they have grown from relative obscurity as local act into one that could easily eclipse their peers with the right promotional push. With In Perspective, this five-piece hardcore/metal hybrid can stand proud and declare that they … Read more

Sole

Live from Rome
Anticon (2005)

Decrying hip hop's more self-obsessed, corporate, "bitches n' bling" oriented side has become somewhat of an expected formality in the discussion of any Anticon release. Such is the "thinking man's rap" reputation the San Francisco based label has established for itself amongst the more discerning part of the record buying public that it's often held aloft as the antithesis of … Read more

The Locust

Safety Second, Body Last
Ipecac (2005)

On hearing of The Locust's signing to Ipecac, one might be inclined to call this an unexpected pairing. But if you were to take into consideration the label's sheer willingness to work with daring and thought-provoking artists that push the boundaries of modern music, it really shouldn't be that much of a surprise. For ten years, the members of The … Read more

Kill Your Idols

From Companionship to Competition
Side One Dummy (2005)

he new Kill Your Idols record, From Companionship to Competition, is the best mediocre record since Shutdown's Against All Odds was released in 1998. I don't know about you, but I listened to that record constantly, I was psyched about the Brooklyn Youth Crew, and I rocked my Shutdown summer tour shirt until I accidentally turned it pink bleaching my … Read more

Bloc Party

Silent Alarm
Vice (2005)

Hype generates a high death count, because critics are merciless. Bands with ridiculous amounts of hype seem to have big white signs with bold red lettering that spell out "KICK ME" on their backs. When these particular bands do not deliver, every minor insufficiency is exacerbated to squelch them out of existence. Giving them a fair listen is nearly impossible, … Read more

Annihilation Time

II
Six Weeks (2005)

For the past few years these ragers have been taking their brand of Bl'ast-influenced punk all over the world. Their first LP was twelve inches of furious hardcore taking from 1980s California bands like Black Flag, Aggression, and Bl'ast. The Bad Reputation 7" took the band into a new direction, influenced more by the '70s rockers that those California bands … Read more

Xiu Xiu

Life and Live
Xeng (2005)

Xiu Xiu are an anomaly in modern music. This at least, if nothing else, fans and critics of the group can agree on. Intermittently fragile, sad, tense, evocative, provocative and even humorous, the emotionof Xiu Xiu itself is overwhelming. Mix this with the often aggressive screeching broken electronic feel of a lot of the musical accompaniment and the on-edge, straight-from-the-asylum … Read more

Pelican

March into the Sea
Hydra Head (2005)

What's the point of an introduction? They really just delay the reader from getting to what they really care about: the actual review. I could dilly dally around here with a brief synopsis of the career of Pelican or bring up a humorous anecdote about a run in I had with an actual pelican one summer. But it would be … Read more

Jesu

Jesu
Hydra Head (2005)

A year ago, Jesu was only a blip on the radar for most of the music world. And then, as if out of nowhere, Justin Broadrick emerged from the swirling rumors in the darkness with his latest project in the form of Heart Ache, a forty minute EP comprised of only two tracks. While the acclaim was limited at first, … Read more

The Letters Organize

Dead Rhythm Machine
Nitro (2005)

Right off the bat, you know what it's going to be. They're not the first and they definitely won't be the last. And no, they aren't Minor Threat. They are The Letters Organize, just one of the many The Shape of Punk to Come copy cats to come around long after the album did. Their new record is called Dead … Read more

Shotpointblank

Heart of a Disbeliever
Surprise Attack (2005)

The stereotypical US citizen knows very little about Australia. In fact, what little knowledge they do have was likely learned from two sources: their grade school education and, of course, the hilarious films that chronicle the adventures of Paul Hogan as Crocodile Dundee. But who really cares about Australia? It's all the way on the other side of the world. … Read more

Buried Inside

Chronoclast
Relapse (2005)

My first encounter with Buried Inside involved a friend convincing me over AOL Instant Messenger (I get paid for that plug) that Buried Inside is "Hella sick!" BEGL00 sent me a few songs from Chronoclast, but I didn't listen to them right away due to my busy lifestyle. Coincidentally, that very night I saw Buried Inside. I watched as they, … Read more

Old Canes

Early Morning Hymns
Second Nature Recordings (2004)

Imagine waking up and stepping outside of a small cabin. The sun is just rising over the trees on a cool autumn day, the dew on the grass is still there and the sun is reflecting off of it. The leaves are catching a breeze and calmly whispering. Small songbirds are singing back and forth to each other and the … Read more

Pelican

Live in Chicago 06/11/03 DVD
Hydra Head (2005)

2005 sees the now Los Angeles-based label Hydrahead Records embark on yet another new endeavor, this time into the realms of limited edition performance DVDs by artists on their roster. The first is a 21 month-old concert by Pelican, performing several months before the release of their debut album. The show is comprised of four songs, three taken from their … Read more

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