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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)

Sciatic Nerve

Sciatic Nerve
Anxious And Angry/ Gunner Records (2017)

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 the point. It really is that simple.Featuring old timer punks who also play in Swingin’ Utters, Nothington, Western Addiction, and Cobra Skulls, it’s something of a similar concept as The Falcon. It’s a place for friends to write fun, fast songs without some higher artistic purpose or a sound that’s predefined by listener expectation. Their 12-song debut delivers on this promise.Throughout the self-titled record, the sound is fast and furious, angry but without vitriol. It’s contained hardcore that harkens to the glory days without echoing. Equally impressive is the fact that the 12 songs all follow this “old school” approach without blurring together into sounding like one 26-minute track. “Sciatic Nerve” is a statement track, a blistering 51-second affair to introduce things. “Sleep” is driven by its down-tuned bass and angry shouting, while “Bright Lights” follows that up with coarse … Read more

The Capitalist Kids

Brand Damage
Eccentric Pop Records (2017)

Even with a name like Capitalist Kids, the Austin band has always been more about love songs in the vein … Read more

Rallidae

Turned, And Was
Gold Bolus Recordings (2016)

The other week a friend and I went to a jazz club - the Lilypad in Cambridge, MA. We didn’t … Read more

Raymond Pettibon

A Pen of all Work
Phaidon (2017)

Chances are that if you are remotely into underground culture, you will have quite a few records, shirts or other … Read more

Bell Witch

Mirror Reaper
Profound Lore (2017)

Beginning the dissection of a record is often the most difficult thing to do when it comes to writing a … Read more

Succumb

Succumb
Flenser (2017)

Established in 2014 as Cloak, this California-based extreme metal act produced an interesting hybrid take on black/death metal. Changing the … Read more

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One from the archives

Child Bite / This Moment In Black History

Split
Forge Again (2009)

A couple of the rust-belt cities connect themselves through this new split 7" release. Detroit's Child Bite and Cleveland's This Moment in Black History each offer up one brand new song on this vinyl. Child Bite bring forth "Mammal Manners" in just under three minutes. The eccentric five-piece sounds like Secret Chiefs 3 fronted by Fred Schneider. It's bizarre, and yet it works, for the most part. Meanwhile, This Moment in Black History's "It's Everything We Do" is a two and a half minute avant-garde mash of 8-bit Nintendo, noise punk, and rock. I'm not really a fan of this, especially the vocals, which are awful. The whole thing comes off rather immature. Child Bite definitely saves this split recording. This Moment in Black History nearly caused me to melt … Read more

More album reviews

Spinifex Gum

Spinifex Gum
My Shore Productions (2017)

Spinifex resin is a gum coating of some species of Spinifex grasses. The resin was traditionally used in tool making by Australian Aborigines. To produce the gum, the spinifex is threshed until the resin particles fall free. These particles are heated until they fuse together to form a moldable black tar, which is worked, while warm. When set, this gum … Read more

Myteri

Myteri
Alerta Antifascista (2017)

How do you keep up to date with new music? I have the luxury of being a reviewer. I’m informed on a constant basis (and get to cherry pick the releases I wish to review. Seriously, I love this job!), but next to that I keep an eye out for certain labels. There’s a couple of labels that are very … Read more

Worriers

Survival Pop
Side One Dummy (2017)

It seems like Worriers nailed down their sound on day one, when they rose from the ashes of The Measure S.A.. The Lauren Denitzio-fronted group plays a melodic and quirky style of indie-poppish-punk. On Survival Pop, that sound takes a stronger pop turn, with ear-pleasing hooks paired to politically-charged and empowering lyricism. In many ways, this record is a call … Read more

Grit

Diamond EP
Distro-y Records (2017)

These past few weeks have been very busy weeks for me. My girlfriend moved in. Happy news for me and her of course. Moving her stuff, renovating my home, vivid discussions on what to keep and what to get rid off all took their time. Most of the work is done now and all the effort we put in it … Read more

Black Anvil

As Was
Relapse (2017)

Black Metal as a musical genre is not known for it's subtlety. The pendulum will usually swing between low-fi heavily distorted guitar and blast-beats or overwrought, overproduced operatic epics. But Black Anvil is a band of a different color. Hailing from NYC, they've managed to make a more accessible Black Metal sound without sacrificing any of the chief tenets that … Read more

Liam Gallagher

As You Were
Warner Bros. (2017)

Beady Eye was not a bad band. Au contraire. If you harbour a weak spot for Oasis, aim at an objective viewpoint and take a break from you loyalty to the Chief Noel, it proves to be difficult to not like their two albums, however, a lot of Oasis aficionados managed exactly that.As You Were is Liam Gallagher’s new album. … Read more

Monolord

Rust
Riding Easy (2017)

Sweden’s Monolord worship at the altar of the riff and on third effort Rust that riff comes downtuned, weighty and driven by bass. Vocals are hazy at best, which only adds to the ceremonial vibrations that Monolord deliver on a record that delves into darkness on its way to the end. Predecessor Vænir from 2015 was found to be lacking … Read more

Botanist

Collective: The Shape of He To Come
Avantgarde Music (2017)

Botanist belongs in this new generation of black metal bands, of acts attempting to reinvigorate the genre by expanding its scope. Post-rock influences and avantgarde notions find their way into Botanist's music, leading to a very successful series of releases, with 2014's VI: Flora standing out in particular. At the same time, stylistically the band departed from not only the … Read more

The Mons

Trust No One
Triple Eye Industries (2017)

Trust No One, The Mons’ second album isn’t subtle. But what do you expect of a band using that name? This is aggressive, 1980s-inspired hardcore with a penchant for fast songs and straight shooting ‘tude. The opening ripper “This Is Why” is a declaration statement with a minute-long intro before it rages for a whopping 17 seconds. To pull a … Read more

Foo Fighters

Concrete and Gold
RCA (2017)

One thing becomes abundantly clear about 28 seconds into "T-Shirt", the first track off Foo Fighters' ninth studio album Concrete and Gold - this will not be your typical Foo Fighters album.What's different about it? Well for starters, the way it was made. After recording 2011's Wasting Light in Grohl's house and garage, then writing and recording Sonic Highways in … Read more

Celeste

Infidele(s)
Denovali (2017)

French extreme/post metal outfit Celeste have been on a path of destruction since their inception back in 2005. Their introduction to the scene was made by the release of their debut EP, Pessimiste(s), a work that showcased their unique blend of sounds. Ranging from black metal and sludge, to post-hardcore, the music of Celeste kept coming with conviction and purpose … Read more

Grave Pleasures

Motherblood
Century Media (2017)

Grave Pleasures is the evolution and continuation of Beastmilk. Back in 2013, the project led by Mat “Kvohst” McNerney, released Climax, a record combining the post-punk nostalgia, the darkwave influence along with a pop-induced sensitivity. The record was filled with hits, stunning hooks and explosive tracks. Unfortunately Beastmilk could not continue in the same form, so lo and behold Grave … Read more

Grave Pleasures

Motherblood
Century Media (2017)

The Grave Pleasures story is one that began many moons ago in 2010; beginning life as Beastmilk and led by black metal legend Mat McNerney the band were soon on the radar of the black metal scene despite their sound sitting firmly in the post punk aspect of the musical world. Annihilation has no bounds and the outsider genre welcomed … Read more

BIG|BRAVE

Ardor
Southern Lord (2017)

I love music that expands as it moves as if it is pushing glaciers, building worlds, or splitting atoms. Music that is not meant for Sunday drives, lullabies, or backyard barbeques. Music that is meant to be listened too fully, as a whole, not in 2 minute pop biscuits, albeit I love that type of music as well. However, that … Read more

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