Recent reviews

Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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

Nirvana

In Utero (20th Anniversary Reissue)
Universal (2013)

It’s easy to read a posthumous reissue as a mining of a band’s demos and outtakes. Nirvana saw the deluxe treatment of Nevermind a few years back and now, celebrating 20 years since its release, they get the same treatment on In Utero. For a band that only released three proper full-lengths, yet received accolades beyond what I care to get into in a short review, there’s a certain diehard fan base that’s pining for new material. With the deluxe edition of their final record getting its re-release in box set form, it would be an easy marketing angle. Instead, the deluxe anniversary edition of In Utero is a tasteful celebration of the original—even if it’s somewhat unnecessary.Available in multiple forms, the re-release includes three CDs: a re-master of the original record (plus b-sides and bonus tracks), a new 2013 mix of the original album (plus demos and two previously unreleased “songs”), and a live CD from a 1993 concert that matches a separately available DVD. It’s a hassle just to keep that straight, not to mention the various packages available that feature those pieces in varied combinations. Oh, and there’s a vinyl option too. Let’s just say it’s a … Read more

Nirvana

In Utero (20th Anniversary Reissue)
Universal (2013)

Some anniversary reissues are like tapas. Small, manageable servings of exactly what you want and you wind up leaving utterly … Read more

Ash Borer

Bloodlands
Gilead Media / Psychic Violence (2013)

Do you love tossing on a record that is just crushing from start to finish? I mean regardless of dynamics … Read more

Jesu

Every Day I Get Closer To The Light From Which I Came
Avalanche Inc. (2013)

When you go travelling for a while (be it physically or mentally), sometimes there is this ache or longing to … Read more

Highness

Hold
Magic Bullet (2013)

With one fell swoop Highness manage to confirm suspicions and completely avoid them. When a band made up of more … Read more

Motörhead

Aftershock
UDR (2013)

Motörhead have the blues. Sure, they've worn their influences on their sleeves for the entirety of their 40 year career. … Read more

Browse our review archives

Review categories

200 Words Or Less

750 reviews

Book Review

42 reviews

Classic Album

25 reviews

Multiple Authors

300 reviews

Review

4948 reviews

Video/DVD Review

19 reviews

One from the archives

Hot Cross

Cryonics
Level Plane (2003)

"It's the band that has the singer from Saetia in it", was the first thing I heard about Hot Cross. Later I also heard it contains ex-members of Neil Perry and Joshua Fit For Battle, but being a huge fan of Saetia I immediately was forced to check this new all star screamo band. The first thing I noticed was that Billy's vocals post Saetia have become less screechy and screamy. Perhaps all of that high screaming in his previous band took too much of a toll on his throat or maybe he just didn't like that style anymore, whatever the reasoning his scream is more straight forward. His lyrics have also changed, they are less about relationship problems and more of what appears to be about social commentary. His … Read more

More album reviews

Seidr

Ginnungagap
Bindrune Records (2013)

Existing on the outer realms of the galaxies, where space and time collide, Seidr return with their sophomore release,Ginnungagap. Led by A. Lunn, also of Agnosis, Kolga, Throndt and most importantly of Panopticon, the band is here to build further upon the impact that their debut album, For Winter Fire, caused.Even though the band is at its core a doom … Read more

The Silks

Last American Band
Independent (2013)

When I first caught The Silks playing in a friends living room I was amazed at the raw energy these guys bring to a live show and as we have learned time and again, one of the hardest things to pull off as a record producer is to capture that sound and feel in the studio. Well I'm happy to … Read more

Kodaline

In A Perfect World
RCA (2013)

Mohill is a rural Irish village in county Leitrim, it's nice, quaint and generally doesn't divide opinion. To use an Irishism: sure it's grand. It's also where the majority of the songs on Kodaline's debut album In A Perfect World were written. In effect what Kodaline have done is written a powerful, evocative album, that has them on the precipice … Read more

Rations

Martyrs and Prisoners
86'd records (2013)

Released on 86’d Records, I came to Rations with a blank slate. Thirty seconds of research tells me the band is a four-piece from Long Island and includes, among others, 86’d Records’ own Wells as a member. Trivia aside, most folks don’t buy a piece of vinyl based on any of that info above. They buy it because it’s good … Read more

Pearl Jam

Lightning Bolt
Republic (2013)

Nobody and I mean NOBODY involved with or familiar with the Seattle scene back in 1991 would have guessed that Pearl Jam would be, with the exception of Puget Sound stalwarts Mudhoney, the last band standing. They were the upstarts, the Johnny-Come-Latelys that took a long time to gain the respect from their peers. After almost all of their peers … Read more

Red Fang

Whales And Leeches
Relapse (2013)

There's an untold amount of new bands just waiting to be discovered. Some will be discovered and just as quickly forgotten. Some will be discovered, appreciated for a brief time and then forgotten. The very lucky few will be discovered, loved and will continue to be loved by a few, who will spread the word to a few and, higher … Read more

Galactic Cannibal

We're Fucked
Hewhocorrupts Inc. (2013)

Goddamn, these are some brutally hoarse vocals. Like the kind that makes my voice hurt just thinking about singing along, and I mean that in the best possible way.Galactic Cannibal are a Milwaukee punk band comprised of brothers Nick Woods (Direct Hit!) and Peter J Woods (noise artist). Throw those comparisons out the window, though, as this slams the pedal … Read more

Deadly Reign

Slave
Profane Existence (2013)

Deadly Reign is a three-piece punk unit based in Austin, TX. They are a fairly new band (not to be confused with the ‘80s Cali band of the same name) but play with the skill and poise of a veteran group. And not surprisingly so, as they are comprised of members of crust luminaries like World Burns to Death, Scarred … Read more

Jungbluth

Part Ache
Halo of Flies (2013)

Karl Jungbluth was a German communist involved with various resistance groups that stood up against National Socialism and the Nazis. Expectedly enough, he got arrested twice in a decade and the second time turned out to be fatal. He was executed along with fellow resistance fighters on January 12, 1945.Alpinist was a four-piece crust/hardcore punk band from Münster, Germany formed … Read more

Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington

High Rise EP
Play Pen LLC (2013)

For those who recall, the first time that Stone Temple Pilots got tired of waiting around for Scott Weiland to turn his shit around was in 1997. The DeLeo brothers and drummer Eric Kretz recruited singer Dave Coutts and Talk Show was born. I saw them play live on the second leg of Foo Fighters' Colour and the Shape tour. … Read more

Medicine

To The Happy Few
Captured Tracks (2013)

Imagine being in a band that broke up seventeen years earlier meeting together to divide up copies of re-issues of what are arguably said band’s finest recorded moments, and in those moments being so overcome by the excitement of the moment that you and your compatriots immediately begin writing the first song for the follow-up record to your final album … Read more

INVSN

Self Titled
Razor & Tie (2013)

The problem with a passion project is that its appeal is going to be fairly strictly limited to those who are passionate about the focus of the project or passionate about those behind it. I'm not sure which of those sides of the coin will turn out to be the one to call in mid-air, but as turns out to … Read more

Native

Orthodox
Sargent House (2013)

It's been a while since I've been this interested in a post-hardcore record. Native seem to have that effect on me. As a band, they're too often overlooked, brushed aside by most as another one of the many cardboard cutout bands watering down a once innovative music scene. Indiana post-hardcore powerhouses Native play a distinctly groovy and angular take on … Read more

Loss Of Self

Twelve Minutes
Flenser (2013)

Loss Of Self first garnered attention following the release of their eponymous 2012 demo. With much acclaim following their unique take on the modern trend of positive sounding black metal, it was no surprise that genre label The Flenser saw potential in the lo-fi three-track effort. Now, with Twelve Minutes, the Melbourne-based outfit have set out a record that doesn’t … Read more

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