Mercy Killings
Snuffed Out
Beach Impediment (2015)
This is the second 7” from this new-ish congruence of Richmond, VA old-timers. The band flexes a pedigree that includes Wasted Time, Government Warning, Direct Control and a whole bunch of others. Eight minutes in total of bulldozer USHC in the most straightforward sense. No fucking about whatsoever; just head down, get the fuck out of the way hardcore punk. As predicted, there are some pretty blazing albeit brief guitar leads, a few moshy breakdowns, and vocals that are appropriately gruff and angry. I’ve been listening to this for several months now but can’t seem to come up with more words to describe it other than the few I just used. I wish I could tell you that this was unlike anything you’ve ever heard before but truth is if you’re into this punk shit then you own a million EPs just like this one. That doesn’t mean it’s terrible—and to be clear, it’s not—but it probably won’t be making many of those year-end best-of lists that us stupid record reviewers love to throw into the black hole that is internet-based music criticism. The way I see it a band like this has two options: churn out a few more … Read more
Wrekmeister Harmonies
Night of Your Ascension
Thrill Jockey (2015)
The musical collective led by J.R. Robinson has always been inventive when it came to the subjects of their sonic … Read more
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Plays Prog Rock Classics
Cleopatra (2015)
At a point in the late '90s and early-to-mid 2000s, it seemed like every major artist had at least one … Read more
Pontius Pirate
Pterodactyl Island LP
Backwoods Butcher (2015)
Every so often I go through a phase where I’m listening to a lot of pre-Independent Wormhole Saloon era Butthole … Read more
