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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)

Low Forms

Low Forms EP
Big Action Records/Tectonic Plates (2014)

Low Forms self-titled 7” is a six minute blast of power-pop defined by clean guitars, rhythmic chops, and traditional format rock ’n’ roll. While it’s not reinventing anything, it’s a solid homage to a timeless style with a nice build-up from opening verse to close, milking the verse-chorus-verse structure to increase urgency as the song progresses without succumbing to dumbed down, boring repetition. It’s a hard task to pull off and the band does it well. The riffs stick in mind more than the lyrics of “Cherry Tigers,” but the overall substance definitely has some sticking power.On side B the band introduces a changeup with group vocals that pile on a higher sense of harmony before shifting into the smooth sensations of “Pendulum Swing,” an apt title for the song which, whenever it starts to feel familiar, delivers a swing of new hooks. It’s poppy at heart, but too honest and loud for that term to really apply. It’s definitely more anthemic than the a-side. Overall, this is an intriguing debut that will put an extra bounce in your step. Read more

Barghest

The Virtuous Purge
Gilead Media (2014)

This black metal act from Louisiana continues to spread destruction and devastation. Barghest released their debut album back in 2011, … Read more

White Reaper

White Reaper EP
Polyvinyl (2014)

White Reaper is a cool-named trio who are rubber-burning their way out of the Louisville, KY DIY scene. There’s a … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Tessela

Rough 2 EP
Different Grooves (2014)

This drug influenced, euro-electronic laser beam, drum and bass can be very, VERY repetitive, Anxiety inducing, tough to listen to, … Read more

Versus You

Moving On
Bomber Music (2014)

Despite a confrontational name, Versus You are every bit positive punx with songs praising friendship, relationships, and the like. It’s … Read more

Versus You

Moving On
Bomber Music (2014)

Versus You's album Moving On is short and sweet, but not with out its flaws. It's heartbreak music at its … Read more

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One from the archives

Stars of the Lid

And Their Refinement of the Decline
Kranky (2007)

When it comes to currently running ambient acts, they do not get any more prolific than Stars of the Lid. Having released material since 1995, the duo made up of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie have relocated since releasing their last album and absolute masterpiece The Tired Sounds Of... and found themselves living more than 6,000 miles apart. This distance might have put a lull in terms of releasing albums but it surely has not taken away from the quality of their output as And Their Refinement of the Decline reminds us that there is no one who does it better than these two. While I sit, geographically almost halfway in between members in a coffee shop in Toledo, OH, I am reminded exactly why you shouldn't listen to records … Read more

More album reviews

Hotel Books

I'm Almost Happy Here, But I Never Feel At Home
In Vogue (2014)

Hotel Books' I'm Almost Happy Here But I Never Feel At Home is well-versed prose that at times can be a bit repetitive. Each verse has elements that are thought provoking and heartfelt which helps carry the album to make up for the repetition. The tone sets in almost immediately with the opening song, “Lose One Friend,” and quickly gets … Read more

Pujol

Kludge
Saddle Creek (2014)

Daniel Pujol is prolific and ever changing. The leader of Pujol continues to release records at a rapid pace, successfully switching up his backing sounds in the process. While early material was a lot more garage in style, the overall tone on Kludge is quirky and rock-based, but it ranges from sauntering slower material (“Spooky Scary”) to minimalist electropop (“Small … Read more

Various Artists

Moloch / Meth Drinker - Split LP
Feast of Tentacles (2013)

Moloch returns a second time for 2013 while Meth Drinker join them this time. Moloch remain relatively the same in that what they do is play a deep dark style of doom that embraces the blacker elements of the genre. New Zealand's Meth Drinker return the favor by playing something that can at one point resemble trudging doom and at … Read more

Various Artists

Moloch / Ensorcelor - Split LP
Psychic Assault (2013)

This is a record resembling Clash Of The Titans. Both Canada's Ensorcelor and England's Moloch have been lurching in the darkest reaches of the metal underground for a few years. While some bands err to the side or fluid hooks in their riffs and others slink towards creating the most noise possible, somewhere in between lie these two.On one side … Read more

Container

Adhesive
Liberation Technologies (2014)

Combining throbbing electronic music with scratchy and crackly noise elements, Providence, Rhode Island’s Container has been getting more and more notice in recent years. Perhaps one reason for this is the fact that musician/producer Ren Schofield (who essentially is Container) has continued to improve, pumping out almost industrial-oriented tracks using conventional techno beats even as many electronic artists have been … Read more

Ensemble Economique

Melt Into Nothing
Denovali (2014)

I became familiar with Ensemble Economique back in 2010 when they released their album Psychical, with Bryan Pyle (formerly of Starving Weirdos) combining world music with a very intriguing soundtrack type of feeling. Even though the original incarnation of the band with their fascinating influences was monumental, Ensemble Economique has crossed into darker territories. Pyle has reduced this act to … Read more

Jon McKiel

Jon McKiel
Independent (2014)

An old, black-and-white photo depicts five dilapidated homes slowly crumbling away on an island in the middle of a vast, dismal ocean; the sea's endlessness and archaicness adds a sense of sentimentality to the picture. With such a glum album cover, it’s a dazzling surprise once the effervescent, action-packed “New Tracy (I Will Learn To See)” - opening song on … Read more

Book Review

Mike "McBeardo" McPadden

Heavy Metal Movies
Independent (2014)

According to Mike "McBeardo" McPadden's Heavy Metal Movies, Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey"profoundly influenced" a yet-to-be-named Black Sabbath. Fifty pages later on in the book, and the reader learns about the night in 1969 in Birmingham, England when Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward were getting ready to take the stage as blues rock … Read more

Benjamin Shaw

Goodbye, Cagoule World
Audio Antihero (2014)

The UK is a miserable place at times, more often than not in fact, and artists such as Benjamin Shaw fully embrace that misery and spin it out in stories of hopelessness, rejection and the knowledge that pretty much everything is complete shit. Luckily, Goodbye, Cagoule World isn't complete shit and instead takes all the rubbish that life throws out … Read more

Pixies

Indie Cindy
Pixies Music (2014)

Indie Cindy is the first new Pixies full-length since 1991 (Trompe le Monde). After the band reunited a few years back for the tour circuit the rumors of new material started to flow, the band continued to tour, and nothing came out. Eventually, shortly after the departure of original bassist Kim Deal (The Breeders), the band put out three EPs … Read more

The Atlas Moth

The Old Believer
Profound Lore (2014)

I still remember when I first listened to the Atlas Moth debut album, A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky. Instantly I thought that this heavy psychedelic doom/sludge band was on to something really great. The sonic experimentation and the insane weight of the band combined with sick riffs and screaming vocals was an unbelievable record to process. And when their … Read more

†††

†††
Sumerian (2014)

The latest in a series of side projects from Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno, ††† (pronounced “crosses”) takes much of its somewhat spooky iconography from the weird world of witch house (ooo look – every ‘T’ is replaced with a †), yet probably has more in common with Nine Inch Nails than any of the here-today-gone-tomorrow genuine witch house groups. Formed … Read more

Death Grips

Niggas On The Moon
Harvest / Third Worlds (2014)

Death Grips have been making a strong and confrontational statement in music since their inception. Zach Hill (Former drummer extraordinaire for Hella), Stefan "MC Ride" Burnett, and Andy "Flatlander" Morin have been making caustic rap punk that always leaves first-time listeners at a loss for words. Their self-described "accelerated music" contains samples that range from "Up The Beach" by Jane's … Read more

Clad In Darkness

Decathect
Independent (2014)

Good things come to those who wait. It's a cliché, yes, but for Clad in Darkness that old adage rings wholly true. Having formed at least fifteen years ago, the band have taken their sweet, sweet time in releasing their debut record. A couple of EPs have seen the light but for this Chicago based band, a full length was … Read more

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