Small Towns Burn a Little Slower
Mortality as Home Entertainment
Triple Crown (2005)
I once spent a month sleeping in a cramped, musty basement that doubled as a practice space for Small Towns Burn a Little Slower. They practiced three nights a week from 7 to 9 busting out what would eventually lead to the songs that make up the majority of Mortality as Home Entertainment. I couldn't stand living in the same … Read more
Smartbomb
Diamond Heist
Think Fast! (2008)
Smartbomb return with their debut full-length, Diamond Heist, following the quite promising debut EP Chaos and Lawlessness. The band's first long-player is packed with more of what we heard on the EP, fast-paced punk with a melodic twist. Diamond Heist kicks off with "Barely Legal." First and foremost, you are met with a fury of searing guitars of Billy Bean … Read more
Smohalla
Résilience
Arx Productions (2011)
More and more it seems the once outer edges of Black Metal have become some of their most well known to the outside world. Where as at one point bands like Alcest and Agalloch would have very little standing outside of their little piece of the record buying public, they may be a couple of the most well known current … Read more
Smoke or Fire
This Sinking Ship
Fat Wreck Chords (2007)
Sophomore slumps are a bitch. Smoke or Fire's debut full-length, Above the City, was a nice, short, potent shot of melodic punk with introspective lyrics that felt honest and kept it simple, but This Sinking Ship sounds more like the band is trying too hard to prove that they're relevant. This Sinking Ship is overflowing with political rants, tales of … Read more
Smother Party
Casa Limon
Variant (2011)
Brooklyn's Smother Party come armed with an intriguing name and an interesting sound. Apparently gaining the band name from an old English custom of literally covering bedridden family members with mattresses and, well, smothering them. This loving ritual was deemed "a smother party." How perfectly morbid. It's the fascinating nom de plume that piqued my interest in the band, and … Read more
Smudged
Demo 2005
Independent (2006)
Every so often you end up with a friend's bands demo in your hands and most of the time, let's be fair, you are just at the shows and buying the demos and merch to help support your friends. Most of the time you have to admit that there is a hint of jealousy at the fact that it's them, … Read more
Smut
First Kiss
Iron Lung (2020)
Punk rock, man. Sometimes a band just does it right. Iron Lung released First Kiss on February 28 and it’s a doozy. There are only 8 songs here, and they fly by in probably 10 minutes. It’s fast and furious, with a whole lotta swagger and vitriol. The record sounds like aggression, pure and simple. I’m generally not an angry … Read more
Snailking
Samsara
Consouling Sounds (2012)
If you're going to name your band after a record by one of your genres chosen greats, then you better have the musical balls to back it up. And damn, do Snailking back it up. Taking their name from Ufomammut's second album, Snailking tread in their path whilst building their own identity as a massive and heavy prospect in the … Read more
Snow Patrol
Final Straw
A&M (2004)
They are from Scotland. They have two other releases titled Songs for Polar Bears, and When it's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up. They have a deceiving song called "Chocolate" that is more about pining for a lost relationship than a Hershey bar (unless the songwriter has a fetish with all things made of cocoa). That was all … Read more
So They Say
Life in Surveillance
Fearless (2007)
Before taking my first listen to Life in Surveillance, as a stranger to the band I deemed it only polite to do my homework. So They Say is a rock band, a quartet, hailing from St. Louis, Missouri. They signed with Fearless in 2005, released their debut in 2006. They were met with much acclaim and toured with Atreyu. Huh. … Read more
Sodom
Bombenhagel
SPV, Steamhammer (2021)
For Sodom, 2021 has been a pretty productive year, as well as bringing out a mega remastered bells and whistles boxset of M-16 on its 20th anniversary they have also brought us this new EP. In their current line up as a 4 piece (since 2018); original member Tom Angelripper (bass/vocals), Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik (guitar), Yorck Segatz (guitar) and Toni … Read more
Sodom
M-16 (20th anniversary edition)
BMG (2021)
German thrash metal giants Sodom have released a 20th anniversary remastered edition of their tenth studio album M-16 (2001), unleashed in three formats: a glossy CD mediabook, 2 LP 180gm orange vinyl and a deluxe boxset. The CD and LP releases contain two previously unreleased live tracks "Remember The Fallen" and "Blasphemer" from Wacken 2001 as well as some exclusive … Read more
Soen
Cognitive
Spinefarm Records (2013)
Albums from supergroups always make me feel torn. I am excited and worried at the same time whenever great musicians decide to collaborate, excited for obvious reasons but also worried because it would be a major disappointment listening to an album with a “dream come true” line-up that turns out to be mediocre. But with Soen there is no reason … Read more
Sofa
Source Crossfire
Constellation (2021)
The story of Sofa is interwoven with the rise of the Montreal experimental music scene. In the mid ‘90s Sofa made their first steps, staying within the underground and self-releasing a number of records. Their creative output found them moving all over the weird rock scene. From alternative and indie beginnings to post-hardcore and lo-fi implementations, Sofa has been cultivating … Read more
Sol
Let There be a Massacre
Ván (2007)
You know how to work that evil shit when you can make an accordion sound sinister. Even by the strictest of doom metal standards this is one gloomy-ass album. Like a lot of the pure metal coming out of Europe these days, Sol is the work of one man, Denmark-born Emil Brahe, who has created perhaps the quintessential album of … Read more
Sol Cat
Self Titled
Independent (2013)
Nashville based Sol Cat independently released their first full length album on bandcamp in mid February. The indie and rock scene in Nashville is a well kept secret thanks to the city’s reputation for country music and being home of so many major labels, but you won’t find any country influences here. The nine track self-titled release is all chilled … Read more
Sole
Live from Rome
Anticon (2005)
Decrying hip hop's more self-obsessed, corporate, "bitches n' bling" oriented side has become somewhat of an expected formality in the discussion of any Anticon release. Such is the "thinking man's rap" reputation the San Francisco based label has established for itself amongst the more discerning part of the record buying public that it's often held aloft as the antithesis of … Read more
Solilians
American Klezmische
I Heart Noise (2022)
The first time I listened to this EP I was waiting for it to properly start. I was already halfway through the second track before realising this was it. I was clearly not in the mood for this type of spacey music. Trying it again a couple of days later gave some better results. American Klezmische is the second installment … Read more
