Amebix
No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings
Alternative Tentacles (2008)
So the early Amebix releases are finally becoming more widely available (even though they have been on the bootleg circuit for quite a long while) which is excellent because some of the bootlegs of them are pretty nigh unlistenable, and considering that these releases are some of the best material that Amebix offers, finally seeing the light of day can … Read more
Amebix
Sonic Mass
EasyAction (2011)
Amebix have been away for twenty years plus, and if you're expecting Arise or Monolith v2.0 then look away now. Because Sonic Mass is so much more than those classic records, and all the better for the band's time spent away from the music scene. In a recent interview we did with vocalist Rob "The Baron" Miller, he explained how … Read more
Amenra
De Doorn
Relapse (2021)
Memories burn in the flames while onlookers stare on. Relief washes over those present as though cleansed in the fires and reborn. Screams of catharsis spill from the lips of the watchers, emptying their souls of all the hurt and pain that has brought them to this point. Letting go of the mistakes and agonies that tie us to this … Read more
Amenra
Mass IIII
Hypertension (2008)
With no previous exposure to Amenra, the band which I am involved prepares to play a show with them knowing only that they are from Belgium. In the weeks leading up to said event, the support of fellow Belgian outfit Rise and Fall impacts me personally and intrigue begins to set in my mind. Well, let me just say that … Read more
Amenra
Mass V
Neurot Recordings (2012)
Rituals are deeply ingrained into our shared human experience and the modern ones seemingly thrust us back through the ages to some vaguely remembered race memory locked in the genetic code in safe guarded in our cells, and Amenra not only appreciates this phenomenon but exploit our collective unconscious to produce some rather breathtaking performances that at this point has … Read more
Amenra
VI
Neurot Recordings (2017)
I thought it a safe bet to listen to any album off Neurot Recordings with care and patience, and expect something great. Amenra is no fragile exception. Their essence taps a well of meaning seemingly endless on all levels of analysis, as much as it taps a particular sound thrust forward first by Black Sabbath, and most recently by Neurosis. … Read more
American Football
American Football (Re-Issue)
Polyvinyl (2014)
Much like the recently-reunited Owls, the unfortunately short-lived American Football was a group formed from the remnants of seminal Midwest-based 1990s emo band Cap’n Jazz (whose members went on to form a seemingly endless number of great bands). Unlike Owls who set about making rhythmic post-punk however, American Football’s lineup of Mike Kinsella (guitar, bass, vocals), Steve Lamos (drums, trumpet), … Read more
American Football
LP2
Polyvinyl (2016)
American Football are the sort of band that shouldn't have attracted so much attention. When they first properly emerged in 1999, a copy of their eponymous debut in hand, they were still playing small college bars around the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Their album cover was so low-key it should have been unremarkable, depicting the darkened exterior of a … Read more
American Heritage
Millenarian
Translation Loss (2006)
I want to say, before I get to my actual review, that I give out a lot of high scores in my reviews because I would much rather write about a record that makes me stoked to listen to music than something that I hate after one song. And American Heritage is a band that I am constantly stoked about. … Read more
American Steel
Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts
Fat Wreck Chords (2009)
After returning from a five year hiatus in 2007, American Steel released Destroy Their Future, which may have been their strongest release yet. It showed the band with a more mature sound while still not drifting too far off from their roots. The follow-up record, Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts is a little different. Here we see the Bay Area … Read more
American Steel
Destroy Their Future
Fat Wreck Chords (2007)
It's crazy how many bands have reunited lately. If you'd asked me a few years ago what I'd be listening to in 2007, I never would've guessed "the new Lifetime and American Steel records." But I'm not complaining, because in my eyes American Steel did no wrong. (And the Lifetime reunion album is so good.) The last American Steel LP, … Read more
American Steel
State of Grace
Fat Wreck Chords (2018)
American Steel always felt a bit under the radar, despite releasing albums on Lookout and Fat Wreck. While they’ve been on well-known labels, they don’t get the same accolades as some of their peers. It feels fitting, in that way, that the band just released a new 7” seemingly out of nowhere. The band hadn’t even played together in five … Read more
American Television
Scars
Smartpunk Records (2023)
There are a few basic moods to punk. American Television fall into the singalong category. This is short, fast, and predictable melodic punk – and I don’t even slightly mean that in a bad way. Scars tears through 10 songs in probably 20 minutes, balancing whoa-ohs, harmonies and punchy power chords. It all culminates in “Bittersweet” with a refrain of … Read more
American Werewolves
1968
Fractured Transmitter (2005)
If you were to randomly walk into a concert venue while American Werewolves were performing you would be extremely fortunate. The four-piece punk outfit from Cleveland delivers a unique blend of Misfits-worship punk, but with an oh so sweet twist. That twist is their incorporation of early - I'm talking 1950's - rock-n-roll, B-movie keys, and hints of early hardcore. … Read more
Amesoeurs
Amesoeurs
Profound Lore (2009)
Isn't it ironic that a band whose name means "kindred spirits" in French is broken up? As depressing as that fact is, at least Amesoeurs has finally left us one full-length to remember them by. The band's Ruines Humaines EP from 2006 was comprised of three absolutely killer songs that can be only described as residing somewhere between organic black … Read more
Amon Amarth
With Oden on Our Side
Metal Blade (2006)
According to the Vikings, the world will end in an apocalyptic battle known as Ragnarök, in which the dead will rise to attack the living and even the gods themselves will be torn asunder. If - or when - Loki and the forces of chaos descend on the world in a maelstrom of blood and thunder, I'd like to think … Read more
Amora Savant
The Immaculate Misconception
Volatile Productions (2005)
Sometimes, perspective is a good thing. There's not always time to gain significant perspective, but when you do have the time, it makes an informed decision well, all that more informed. When I first played Amora Savant's The Immaculate Misconception, I didn't like it. So I played it a second time to, you know, gain some of that perspective thingy … Read more
Amorphis
Halo
Atomic Fire Records (2022)
Amorphis as a band have been going for over 30 years and this is the year that they bring us their new album Halo, a worthy finale to the trilogy of Under The Red Cloud (2015) and Queen Of Time (2018) and the fourteenth studio album of their career. The 3 singles released from Halo were "The Moon", "On The … Read more
