Dream pop, huh?Dark pop?Why not.Baltimore trio The Holy Circle is comprised of vocalist / keyboardist Terence Hannum (Locrian), as well as his wife, vocalist Erica Burgner-Hannum of Unlucky Atlas, and Nathan Jurgenson (of Screen Vinyl Image) on drum duties. All three of their combined perspectives make for a take on a genre that is nowadays labeled as “dream pop” and shoegazing, i.e. a mélange of alternative rock and neo-psychedelica.Marinated in big sounding, pulsating hypnotic and at times dissonant and noisy synthesizer arrangements and moll basslines, the trio builds intricate ethereal soundscapes with beautifully layered vocals, with more than a mere nod to early era The Cure at least musically, as vocals are significantly different, i.e. more expressive and powerful than what Robert Smith would emit.This debut offers a well-calibrated mix of pop and experimentation. A nice variation in sound with one eye focused on the rear view mirror with the rest firmly focused on the present day and enough adage of their own DNA. Read more
Interminable slack-ass Omar Rodriguez-Lopez only released 12 solo albums this year on Ipecac Records. So to alleviate the presumed guilt, … Read more
Keith Morris is one of the remaining original punk rock figures that is still going and has never really ceased … Read more
Oh man, haven’t heard Long Knife’s name called in a long time. You can choose to split pubic hairs over … Read more
Hard Girls are a complex band – or maybe they’re not. They sing about hard life choices, serious moments, and … Read more
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Lasagna. Pizza. Mario Bava. This is what I think of when I think of Italy. Oh, and the mafia. No wait - that's when I think of New Jersey. We all have our little preconceived notions of regions or countries when it comes to music. Sure, there's hardcore to be found all over the world, but good hardcore? By now you're tired of this refrain, but good hardcore is hard to find. Milan's Abel is Dying is damn good hardcore. And Gazing from the Abyss is proof positive. While only clocking in at around twenty minutes give or take - these paisans deal in quality, not quantity. Right out of the gate, Abel is Dying grabs you by the throat and doesn't let up for a second. I've never in … Read more
Fried Egg is hardcore punk band from Central Virginia. They rule. But that’s not important. What’s important is that I can’t possibly listen to a band named Fried Egg without thinking about, well, not just fried eggs, but all types of prepared eggs. I eat a ton of eggs – fried hard, over-easy, sunny side up, scrambled, hard-boiled, poached, deviled, … Read more
After pilfering the band’s vehicle in 1983, the man in charge of the 4-strings, a reprobate by the name of Roger Rogerson, disappeared into the ether. Almost fifteen years after his disappearance, he emerged with the demand for a reunion of the Circle Jerks in a bid to become the biggest rock’n roll band on earth. Shortly after, he died. … Read more
Formed by Khanate's vocalist after the demise of the legendary drone band, Gnaw doubled down on the extreme sound of Khanate, filling the drone/sludge hybrid sound with noise injections and industrial pacing. This post-apocalyptic vision was first introduced through This Face, a wretched work of heavy, experimental music, containing all the extreme weight, glacial pace and misanthropic philosophy the band … Read more
I harbour a weak spot for No Use for a Name, a band that eventually became a melodic pop-punk band that landed on Fat Wreck records.What not too many contemporary and younger fans devotees would be aware of, is the fact that No Use for a Name evolved from having started as a much rawer hardcore outfit in the late … Read more
Oh Jesus Christ fuck yeah! It’s been a minute since I checked in on Scandi-core, a genre that at one time ruled my turntable. These days it has to be top shelf to grab my attention, and, well, when the lead singer of Totalitär teams up with the guitar player from Herätys you’ve got my attention. Drop the needle on … Read more
Why do I do this? I just reviewed the vinyl release of Myteri’s debut album and now, a couple of weeks later I’m already listening to their second album. How am I going to say something new and inspiring about it? I guess the answer is twofold. First of all I really liked what I heard on that first album. … Read more
I have successfully broken my brain trying to find something new to say about David Bowie. I believe it to be absolutely impossible to speak in new terms on what the musician, actor, artist, and fashion icon meant to the the worlds he showed up in. Countless of us who mourned his death have done so with some type of … Read more
Wes Orshoski, who is not unknown among documentary aficionados as he directed Lemmy, which sheds light on the times of trials and times of Mr Kilmister, is also the narrator telling the story of The Damned. The Damned were one of the UK’s punk pioneers as they were one of the first outfits to not only have their emissions pressed … Read more
Even though 21-year-old Brooke Bentham is firmly entrenched in the burgeoning South London music scene, her music sounds as though it has been dusted with sand from a Californian desert. With a sound that recalls Angel Olsen and First Aid Kit, her music soars and dips though the ravages of a shattered relationship with arresting lyrics and fluid guitars.These affairs … Read more
Would you have told me 20 years ago I would enjoy music like Trachimbrod I would have stared at you in amazement only to laugh at you. Hell, that would have been my reaction until about ten years back. But I’ve learned to broaden my scope and thus have learned to appreciate a lot of different types of music. A … Read more
Setting out with a retro vision of death metal glory alongside a punk sensitivity, Acephalix erupted into the scene with their debut album Aporia. Primitive and relentless, the band appeared to have instantly captured the essence of the genre with their debut record, something that was apparent even more on their sophomore album, Deathless Master. Punk influences begun to subside … Read more
This is a sweet and short three track 7’’ released by two befriended bands. This EP had me interested when I saw ESC Life was on it. I was looking forward to hearing more from these friendly Croatians after their excellent album Access All Areas from 2015. It was about time I got to hear something new from them! And … Read more
Ah, Sid Vicious.The sung hero of my formative years and fashion sense of the time (including pad lock necklace and safety pin piercing, inspiration for much mischief and muse for many often amazingly bizarre lyrical explorations of punk bands, e.g. the German’s OHL formal and very polite plea “Hey Sid Vicious, wir benötigen Sie!” and The Exploited’s plaidoyer that could … Read more
Sciatic Nerve is a band that doesn’t care what you think. They don’t have “band sound,” or so the press release claims. To get all meta on them, their stated brand-less concept is a concept itself. But I digress. The important thing is that it’s a group of long-time friends who came together to have fun and play music. That’s … Read more
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