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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)

Music Band

Wake Up Laughing
Infinity Cat (2016)

Music Band, along with JEFF the Brotherhood and Diarrhea Planet, forms the Infinity Cat triad, the latest representatives of the Nashville indie punk scene. I’ll readily admit to being a big DP fan - I’ve seen them four times, once with JEFF and once with Music Band. I knew these were DP’s buds, so I had high expectations. JEFF was headlining that DP/JEFF show, and I actually left halfway through the JEFF set; maybe I was tired, but JEFF came off as self-indulgent sludgy rock that only the hairy 250+ pound dudes were into. And while DP always lived up to their ridiculous name - a bunch of fun, amiable dudes who probably wake up laughing - Music Band lived up to their generic name: a rock band playing straightforward riffs that only the Wayne Campbells were into (totally radical, dude!!) The first few songs of Music Band’s Wake Up Laughing remind me of that show, but the second half has riffs that I gotta admit are totally righteous. Though it starts off slow, and the lyrics are consistently boring, the back-half instrumentals of Wake Up Laughing gives me some hope for Infinity Cat’s lineup beyond DP.The first three songs … Read more

Explosions in the Sky

The Wilderness
Temporary Residence (2016)

It’s been five years since Texas post-rock outfit Explosions in the Sky released Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, which … Read more

Corrective Measure

Demo 2015
Independent (2015)

Five song ripper from this quartet out of Maine. If the cover art is any indication these guys wear a … Read more

Lord Mantis

NTW
New Density (2016)

Line-up changes are a scary thought. When it was first announced that vocalist Charlie Fell and guitarist Ken Sorceron were … Read more

The Falcon

Gather Up the Chaps
Red Scare Industries (2016)

The Falcon are a curious band: a collection of rogue Chicagoans (now with Dave Hause as well), lead vocalist Brendan … Read more

Wrong

Wrong
Relapse (2016)

Coming out of Miami, Wrong rose from the ashes of hardcore/punk band Capsule, who released a couple of great albums, … Read more

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One from the archives

Today is the Day

Today is the Day (Reissue)
SuperNova (2008)

Today is the Day provide us with another reissue of an out of print album, their third full-length, Today is the Day. This album is also significant because it is the first one that the group produced on their own at Austin Enterprises (the recording studio of the group's mastermind, Steve Austin). This self-titled effort also marks a significant lineup change in the band as Austin jettisons the bass guitar in favor of an individual who mans a keyboard and various electronic devices to expand the sound of the band into new territory. With their third album, Austin and company take Today is the Day into a more "metal" territory that more closely resembles the outfit that takes shape on their later albums. And while that may or may not … Read more

More album reviews

Cobalt

Slow Forever
Profound Lore (2016)

The future looked very dark for Cobalt, following the release of 2009's Gin. Wunder and McSorley seemed to have perfected their recipe for the black metal outfit, following the release of their debut album, War Metal, and especially their sophomore full-length, Eater of Birds. The band seized activities, and time went by. McSorley left the band, re-joined and left again, … Read more

Tim Hecker

Love Streams
4AD (2016)

Since 2001 Tim Hecker has been exploring the more adventurous sides of electronic music. The experimental scope of the artist has moved through dark territories, taking on elements of drone, noise, power electronics, constructing unique soundscapes of immense beauty. Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again, Ravedeath, 1972 and 2013's Virgins are just some of the essential work of Hecker, … Read more

Moñecho

Past Waters/Fever Lives
Self Released (2015)

In a past life – OK, like eight years ago - I found myself working at a furniture factory in small town Pennsylvania. While I've found worse methods of employment from time to time, this job was, to put it mildly, not an ideal use of my time and talents, revolving around strenuous manual labor and a generally mind-numbing work … Read more

Endless Mike and the Beagle Club

St. Paul
A-F (2016)

Endless Mike and the Beagle Club are from Johnstown, PA (about an hour outside of my second home, Pittsburgh), and their album St. Paul (produced by Anti-Flag's Chris Baker, adding some Pittsburgh history) embodies the DIY PA punk aesthetic that I’ve come to love over the years. Around since 2003, the band is more or less lead-singer Mike Miller’s solo … Read more

Ignite

A War Against You
Century Media (2016)

Even after a decade, Ignite still managed to put out a record that was the logical step forward from Our Darkest Days. While it's not a "reunion" album, it certainly feels like it. Up until the last couple years, Ignite have pretty much been on and off when it came to performing. Front-man, Zoli Teglas, went on to join Pennywise … Read more

King Diamond

The Spider's Lullabye (reissue)
Metal Blade (2015)

When King Diamond's album The Spider's Lullabye, his sixth, was first released in 1995, it was a unique entry in the catalog as it was the first of Diamond's albums since his Fatal Portrait debut that was not a full concept album. It also marked the debut of a whole new band, with the exception of guitarist Andy La Roque, … Read more

Full Of Hell

Amber Mote in the Black Vault
Bad Teeth Recordings (2016)

Full of Hell remain successful in orbiting the broad domain of hardcore punk without becoming victims of convention or straying from ethic. With the release of Amber Mote in the Black Vault via John Hoffman’s (Weekend Nachos) Bad Teeth Recordings, “stagnation” simply does not appear to be a part of the Maryland/Pennsylvania outfit’s vocabulary. The group grows more and more … Read more

Graves At Sea

The Curse That Is
Relapse (2016)

During the early to mid '00s, Graves at Sea had acquired a legendary stature. Their first demo, Documents of Grief, revealed a band that had an exceptional handle on sludge, retaining the weight and extremity of the genre, combined with a sickening perspective. A single, Cirrhosis/Atavist Arise, was released the following year through Southern Lord, and the most revered release … Read more

Kaada & Patton

Bacteria Cult
Ipecac (2016)

John Erik Kaada and Mike Patton. Two great tastes that taste great together. It's been twelve long years since the pair released Romances - a sometimes lush sometimes harsh always beautiful collection of soundscapes.Bacteria Cult is the sum total of two artists that have grown into their own and are completely at ease with what they each can bring to … Read more

Tombs

All Empires Fall
Relapse (2016)

Since their inception back in 2007, Tombs have been in a phase of constant turmoil. Band members have been changed multiple times, with mainman Mike Hill the only original member still in the band. A similar sort of change has been undergoing along the works of the band, with their style. Starting out as a post-black metal act with the … Read more

Various Artists

Crab Legs/Not Half Bad - Dorks/Nerds
Ocelot Records (2015)

Spanning the country’s geography north and south, this split from Fargo, ND’s Crab Legs and Fort Worth, TX’s Not Half Bad is a snippet of the varied sounds of the current DIY pop-punk scene and everything that unifies yet separates bands within it. Crab Legs play a coarse shout it out style that’s gruff yet melodic while partners in vinyl … Read more

Nevermen

Nevermen
Ipecac (2016)

The list of people that Mike Patton has collaborated with over the years is as long as it is diverse. Not so diverse however, that any of the co-conspirators were a surprise, be they Dan the Automator, Melt Banana, Rahzel or untold others.So when the Nevermen album was announced, featuring Patton, Anticon founder Adam ‘Deosone’ Drucker and Tunde Adebimpe from … Read more

Magrudergrind

II
Relapse (2016)

Fucking finally. It’s been six long years since we’ve heard from the Brooklyn via D.C. grind-brigade. This month marks the release of II, the only Magrudergrind record since 2010’s Crusher EP and a welcome relief to those only moderately pacified by Avi Kulawy’s (vocals) doom project, Ruine. II presents some major changes from Magrudergrind without exhibiting a substantial departure from … Read more

Wolvserpent

Aporia: Kala: Ananta
Relapse (2016)

When it comes to mystical vibes, few can challenge the music of Wolvserpent. The duo consisting of Blake Green and Brittany McConnell in the past six years has been putting out a series excellent works. From their debut, Blood Seed, their drone/doom vision started coming into view, a concept that felt finalized with the release of their latest album, Perigaea … Read more

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