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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

Oranssi Pazuzu

Valonielu
Svart Records/20 Buck Spin (2013)

Oranssi Pazuzu are claiming to be coming from Finland… truth is that a more likely point of origin for this band is outer space. Even their name has an intriguing story behind it, with the band taking the word “Oranssi”, which means orange, as a reference to the first light rays in the big bang, and following with the name … Read more

Fragarak

Crypts of Dissimulation
Independent (2013)

Indian quintet Fragark have one of the bossest names for a death metal band ever. (Cheat sheet: it comes from the name of the sword wielded by Irish sea deity Manannán mac Lir, and literally means 'The Retaliator' or 'The Answerer'. Chills, I tell you.) But when it comes to music, their 2013 debut, Crypts of Dissimulation, falls squarely into … Read more

Medicine

The Buried Life
Captured Tracks (2013)

Give me a few minutes to simply gush about this album (I insist) because while I love the first album from Medicine (Self, Shot Forth Living), I find myself popping this delicious ear candy of a record on a tad bit more; The Buried Life is an excellent sophomore album that shows a definite growth for the band, and the … Read more

Medicine

Self, Shot Forth Living
Captured Tracks (2013)

“Sometimes it rains inside my head / All the words run dry…”She sang so sweetly up there on the big screen, and I had absolutely no idea at the time that what I was seeing in the movie theater at that minute was to become a weird love affair that has literally spanned virtually two decades, and I have loved … Read more

Arctic Monkeys

AM
Domino (2013)

By the end of their erogenous fifth LP, the Arctic Monkeys have asked three questions: "Do I Wanna Know?", "R U Mine?" and "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?". All three tracks were released as singles, with each begging the carnal fury pulsing in their latest record, AM. Remarkably, each of the three tracks signify distinct stylistic nuances, … Read more

Hessian

Manégarmr
Southern Lord (2013)

There are at least two bands named Hessian. As such, one of them is supposed to be referred to as Hessian A.D. I refuse to play that game. If movie sequels can be released with nothing more than an indefinite article added to the title, we can have more than one Hessian. In any case, this is the one from … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Agrimonia

Rites of Separation
Southern Lord (2013)

In this day and age, if you're going to write 11-15 minute songs about death, decay and other moribund topics you need to make damn sure that they're interesting. This is usually achieved with liberal doses of the left hand of doom sprinkled throughout the riffage. On this front, Agrimonia succeeds quite well, and without playing the doom card. At … Read more

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