Since forming in the year 2000, Terror has been unleashing a punishing assault of metallic hardcore punk to the masses. From the get-go with their four-song demo the band has delivered an intensity, especially that of frontman Scott Vogel, that is unmatched by any of their peers. The evolution of Terror may seem like nothing dramatic to the casual hardcore … Read more
I first saw Terror live in a garage with about 30 other people on New Year's Eve in 2002. I remember the day because I was blown away by the band's passion, intensity and musicianship, flowing seamlessly from fast verses to chorus breakdowns, peppered with perfectly-timed two-steps and singalongs. I still distinctly remember drummer Nick Jett's blistering snare fills cutting … Read more
When it comes to what is referred to as “post-punk” and repetitive-driven guitar sounds accompanied by tense, circular bass lines and grimy, otherworldly vocals with the an enigma of a frontman meandering through tropes of British magic realism that seemed to be fuelled in equal parts by uppers and downers, you cannot go past The Fall. After the untimely demise … Read more
This drug influenced, euro-electronic laser beam, drum and bass can be very, VERY repetitive, Anxiety inducing, tough to listen to, and at times I felt like it was going to trigger a panic attack or an audible seizure.An ‘80s pop-locking, track suit wearing dance crew wouldn't touch this album that brings no emotion or anything of value to the table. … Read more
Up until this point, TesseracT wasn't a band I held much respect for. Though a competent release, their debut album One showcased all of the worst traits of the djent movement, doing little to move the genre beyond the "fad metal" title it had inherited. However, after the release of their sophomore album Altered State,TesseracT have bafflingly defied expectations and … Read more
Bring out the djent parade!Every single Meshuggah-loving act and their goddamn mother is releasing an album this year. Xerath released their sophomore album, Uneven Structure and Vildhjarta have their debuts planned, Cloudkicker released a single, Periphery and Gojira both have EPs on the schedule... In fact, it seems like the only band who isn't getting in on this action themselves … Read more
TesseracT made quite a splash in the djent scene with their debut last year, the aptly titled One. Though the album itself wasn't particularly impressive, it still struck a chord with a lot of listeners and garnered the band quite a following. It's no surprise they've rushed to produce something to follow it up, and that follow up is 2012's … Read more
If you believe the hype currently going around then you must think that the UK music scene is at its strongest since Oasis and Blur fought over the Brit-pop crown or perhaps even when The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays were teaching the kids to take drugs and dance. Test Icicles are seen to be one of those leading … Read more
Since the mid 1980's Bay Area thrashers Testament have persevered in the world of heavy metal, undergoing numerous lineup changes and even a few medical scares. While their peers in Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer consistently received glorious praise and popularity with metalheads, Testament instead maintained a mediocre level of success as their unleashed album after album. Now, twenty-five years after … Read more
Pizzazz. Omph. Attitude.Sensibility.A sardonic sense of humour.Charisma.Swagger. If your music depends entirely on that, the dependency is too great. So much for the basics.See, you could claim that Tex Perkins and his incarnations have had a more than profound impact on my ever since I planted a foot on terra australis. Tex Perkins has been in the game for close … Read more
Bonafide legends of the Australian music scene, Tex, Don and Charlie are somewhat an Australian super group with gravitas aplomb.Comprised of Tex Perkins (The Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon), Don Walker (Cold Chisel) and Charlie Owen, the trio first incarnated in 1993 and has since released an album every 12 years. The formula has not changed much, despite the passing … Read more
Do You Know Who You Are? is one of the best selling albums that Revelation ever released, and Texas Is The Reason flirted with major label courtship (almost signing to Capitol before splitting up instead) on the strength of their what would ultimately prove to be this their sole album; I remember two things about the band when they were … Read more
Formless and endless. When dealing with drone music, these are two elements you need to take into consideration. With a deep understanding and experience of the genre and experimental music, Aaron Turner, of SUMAC and a myriad other projects, and William Fowler Collins collaborate in the avant-drone project Thalassa. Taking influence from the Greek mythology, and the primordial personification of … Read more
This is seriously one of those releases that would normally fall completely into obscurity if not for a few people who champion such records. Please, if you will, allow me to be that person for this record. Southern Records has a running series - Latitudes - where it gives artists a very finite amount of studio time to record a … Read more
Taking what seems like years, in fact almost two, to come out on the shores of the United States, The (International) Noise Conspiracy's latest album Armed Love unleashes our daily dose of revolutionary approved rock-n-roll. This album has been maligned by critics and fans alike and seems to have an incredible polarizing effect on its listeners. People either love or … Read more
It must be rough to be Dennis Lyxzén. Ten years ago, he was a part of the loftily-titled but nonetheless astounding album The Shape of Punk to Come with his band Refused. The bar was set very high, and once The (International) Noise Conspiracy was unveiled, we all realized that the bar would not be met. The (International) Noise Conspiracy … Read more
If you were to walk past any major chain shop these days, there is an overwhelming high probability that you will spot multiple 'retro' items placed in the window display; frankly society's current infatuation with the 80's and 90's is starting to get to a rather worrying level. And if you are as a savvy as The 1975 appear to … Read more
There is a type of rock & roll that is very, well, American—thunderous, hard-driving, electrified rhythm and blues with greasy guitars. Music that evokes a variety of American imagery—an oversized, gas-guzzling pickup truck covered in mud barrels down a gravel road; the driver—sporting a camouflaged hat and a farmer’s tan—rides shotgun with a six pack of beer and an actual … Read more
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