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Alice In Chains

Rainier Fog
BMG (2018)

It’s been 12 years since Alice In Chains reactivated with vocalist William DuVall - making his time in the band roughly twice that of Layne Staley, but the shadow left by Staley was cast dark and long across the band’s last two albums Black Gives Way To Blue and The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. Both competent albums that for better … Read more

Benjamin Shaw

Megadead
Audio Antihero Records (2018)

Goodbye, Cagoule World was a melancholy trip into the heart of someone who was trying to find their place in the world. On his previous record, Benjamin Shaw tread the path of experimentation, hoping to discover the place he belonged as well as that people aren’t really terrible deep down. On Megadead that experimentation really comes to the fore with … Read more

Bosse-de-Nage

Further Still
Flenser (2018)

The San Fransisco based band, Bosse-de-Nage, was one of the acts to popularize the post-black metal style in its current form. It all begun with their release of their debut, self-titled record in 2010, with the band showcasing not only a way of combining the nihilistic black metal tone with the haze of shoegaze, but rather a more holistic approach … Read more

Trappist

Ancient Brewing Tactics
Relapse (2018)

I could write way too many words about this album, but instead I’ll keep it short and mostly to the point. Ancient Brewing Tactics from Trappist is a 33-minute album about beer. The band includes familiar faces with scene-ties to the likes of Spazz, Despise You, and the metal-themed restaurant Grill ‘Em All. The latter (which I’ve never been to), … Read more

The Crimson Ghosts

Yet Not Human
Ring Of Fire Records (2018)

Currently I am recovering from a heatwave that seemed be going on forever. Unfortunately for me I am not very good at dealing with high temperatures. I fare well with low temperatures and feel very sorry for myself during large parts of summer. Right now I feel like I am yet not human. The right attitude for an album by … Read more

Black Spirituals

Black Access/Black Axes
Sige (2018)

The sound of Black Spirituals is an amalgamation of various disciplines, lineages and motifs. The duo featuring percussionist/drummer extraordinaire Marshall Trammell and sonic explorer Zachary James Watkins has displayed from day one their tendency to investigate the far edges of the music spectrum. Channelling the improvisational corners of rock, the spirit of free jazz, the modularity of drone music and … Read more

William Elliott Whitmore

Kilonova
Bloodshot (2018)

William Elliott Whitmore’s raspy folk pulls from diverse influences that are on full display over the span of 10 covers on Kilonova that don’t really sound like covers, putting his timeless and heartfelt stamp on songs originally recorded by Bad Religion, Magnetic Fields, Johnny Cash, and more. It’s an impressive feat, considering the nature of the cover song combined with … Read more

Proud Parents

Proud Parents
Dirtnap (2018)

With three singers among the four familiar faces of Proud Parents, isn’t no surprise that the record succeeds on the band members’ ability to meet in the middle between different tones and styles. While the vocals due shift frequently on this self-titled debut, the music itself falls consistently in the jangly power-pop world. Members of the group also play with … Read more

Era Bleak

Demo 2018
Dirt Cult (2018)

Dirt Cult is one of the labels where I’ll check out a band based solely on the label’s history of releasing quality stuff that’s in my wheelhouse. I don’t know a lot about Era Bleak, and they’re a hair outside of the style I generally associate with the label. That said, they’re also blowing me away with the release of … Read more

The Get Up Kids

Kicker
Polyvinyl (2018)

The Get Up Kids seemed to take another break after their reunion full length, There Are Rules. Seven years later, and we're given some new tunes in the form of an EP entitled, Kicker. It may be just 4 songs, but they are arguably the catchiest they've written since before reuniting. Kicker takes out the synths and exploratory elements of … Read more

Red City Radio

SkyTigers EP
Red Scare Industries (2018)

Today’s story about wrong first impressions will be about Red City Radio, a some-kind-of-hyphen-punk band from OKC. I’ll admit I’m already behind on first listening to the band just last year – they formed in 2007. That said, I caught a solo acoustic set by lead vocalist Garrett Dale and then watched their last two or three songs as a … Read more

Fashionism

Smash Singles LP
Drunken Sailor (2018)

Smash Singles collects all previous releases of Fashionism. Four singles to be precise (released between 2015 and 2017): Smash The State (With Your Face), Quit Looking At The Time, Suicide and Back In The Day. As a bonus the tracks "Weekend" and "Baby She's Gone" are included here as well. That last song is also the b-side of Come On … Read more

Vacation

Mouth Sounds #2699
Lets Pretend (2018)

For running with the DIY punk scene, Vacation are surprisingly diverse (not to mention prolific). The band’s latest is the 12-song Mouth Sounds #2699 and its 26-minute span delivers the band’s general sound of fuzzed out garage-punk bangers, but within that general sound they deliver crunchy grunge riffs, pop melodies, and flat out noisy bursts, all within a short-song framework … Read more

Thou

Rhea Sylvia
Deathwish Inc. (2018)

Thou, in this particular rendition, throw down great song thud after thud, right on the table, while permeating a delicate scent through their carefully constructed EP, Rhea Sylvia. Each song is a steamy dish, smelling like Tool, Starkweather, and Isis mishmashed together. The vocals have a Maynardish-Alice In Chains chest voice, a Starkweather scream, and a shimmering lead guitar tone. … Read more

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