Various Artists
Planning For Burial / Lonesummer- Split
Music Ruins Lives (2011)
Could there possibly be any more strange a pairing than the two artists that participate in this split release? Sure, there might be; but you would be hard pressed to find such a diametrically opposed sounding pairing than this split. Where they like a similarity in sound, Lonesummer and Planning For Burial display an intriguing level of mindset synergy not … Read more
Various Artists
Police Bastard & War//Plague - Attrition split LP
Profane Existence (2011)
Attrition brings together two punk bands from opposing sides of the Atlantic Ocean—England’s Police Bastard and the United States' War//Plague. Most of the material was recorded at various points in 2009 but not released on vinyl until May of 2011, when Profane Existence Records pressed up a couple thousand slabs of wax to unleash to patched-up masses. Former members of … Read more
Various Artists
Post Teens / Rose Cross - split 7"
Dead Tank (2015)
Nice little split 7” here from Dead Tank that I’ve admittedly been sitting on way too long. Technically this is a 2014 release, although I don’t think it started hitting the shops until 2015. Rose Cross is really awesome. One of my favorite discoveries of this past year. They’ve been around for a while but I wasn’t acquainted with them … Read more
Various Artists
Punk Goes Crunk
Fearless (2008)
The Punk Goes series has been running since the start of this century, beginning with metal and running through pop, acoustic, the 80's, the 90's, and now culminating with crunk. There have been some good renditions over the years: A.F.I.'s "My Michelle," Reach the Sky's "Sometimes," Coalesce's "Blue Collar Lullaby," and High the Lights' "Hey Jealousy" come to mind. On … Read more
Various Artists
Raging Nathans/Reaganomics - Midwest Duress
Rad Girlfriend/Red Scare Industries (2020)
2020 was a rough year -- so rough that I somehow stumbled across two different EPs from last year that end with songs about removing people’s faces. With that noted, I’m certainly curious what abstract and gory trends 2021 will bring…Anyway, Midwest Duress features Raging Nathans (Ohio) and Reaganomics (Illinois). Raging Nathans play modern pop-punk with a strong ‘90s influence. … Read more
Various Artists
ROBOCOP / DETROIT - Dead Language, Foreign Bodies Split LP
Give Praise (2012)
sharing similarities that reside more than just their names Robocop and Detroit both play blinding fast powerviolence indebted grind. While neither band have anything besides a name in relation to Michigan they share a relationship with Grindcore Karaoke which may give somewhat of a clue as to what the listener could be in for. Maine's Robocop take up the first … Read more
Various Artists
Selvans / Downfall of Nur - s/t Split
Avantgarde Music (2016)
Both Selvans and Downfall of Nur are prime examples of the quality of underground black metal. Both bands do not register their sound with the bitter traditional approach of the genre, and rather temper with mellower tendencies. Selvans depicted thoroughly their understanding of the folkish side of the genre in their excellent Lupercalia album, while Downfall of Nur attempts in … Read more
Various Artists
Sin Bad / Bad Wig - Split EP
Kitchy Spirit (2019)
Sometimes I am just a lazy slouch. This review is not just a bit late, it is almost a year overdue. When I make a promise, I make it with the intention of keeping it. This is one of those examples. Luckily for me I never promised when I would review this EP, so I don’t feel to bad about … Read more
Various Artists
So Cow/Squarehead - Out of Season
Inflated Records (2012)
Out of Season is a two-band split 12” from Inflated Records that presents two Irish Groups, So Cow on Side A and Squarehead on Side B. It pairs two up-and-comers, delivering successful and enjoyable mid-tempo power-pop for the most part.So Cow is a three-piece (previously one-man band) who plays 1960s influenced poppy stuff with a bit of modern quirk and … Read more
Various Artists
Sound City - Reel To Reel
RCA/Roswell (2013)
Sound City Studios was a recording studio located in the industrial heart of the Van Nuys district of Los Angeles and was the recent subject of a love letter of a documentary produced and directed by by rock deity (and apparent expert multi-tasker) Dave Grohl. The documentary covers the history of the studio and more specifically, the custom Neve 8028 … Read more
Various Artists
Starkweather/Concealment - Split
Translation Loss (2018)
After seven patient years Starkweather releases their third split Divided by Zero with Portugal’s Concealment. The two-song split cements itself with every listen as masterful. Like a vitamin, it’s not to be consumed on an empty stomach, or listened to with impatience. But brevity being the byproduct of vigor, and in summing up an emotionally exhausting 49 minutes of listening … Read more
Various Artists
Symphony Of Distraction / 69 Enfermos - They Came From Faster Space Split
Morning Wood Records (2018)
Recently I picked up my longboard from the barn where it was in hibernation for quite some time. I have been cleaning the bearings and other necessary maintenance. All the while looking out the window checking if the weather was adjusting to the meteorological time of the year: spring! Why this urgent need to skate? A long answer short: this … Read more
Various Artists
Talk Show Host/Cluttered - Enemy Us
Independent (2022)
First off, I’m not going to bother comparing this EP of Enemy You covers to the originals. Why? Because that’s not the point. A covers record that’s only about the originals is a novelty record that you play for a lark. I’m interested in records that hold up on their own merit. Lucky for us, Cluttered and Talk Show Host … Read more
Various Artists
The Bananas/Rivers Edge - split
Lifer Tapes (2018)
It had been a long time since I’d listened to The Bananas – and I have to ask myself why. It’s that peppy, poppy, yet underproduced DIY thing that I basically groove on. A few seconds of “La Touraine” is all it takes to get the leg bouncing and a smile on my face. I’m not going to say that … Read more
Various Artists
The Things That Shaped Us Together
Haum Entertainment (2022)
By the time I'm writing this review, I would like to express my condolence for all the families and the victims of the police brutality in Kanjuruhan (Malang) soccer match. And this time we have a submission music coming from Haum Entertainment. Haum Entertainment is a Malang (Indonesia) based label that is known for releasing local notable emo/melodic hardcore musicians. … Read more
Various Artists
Time x Heist / Without Love - Split EP
Best Life Records, Our Pride Records (2023)
Six songs a bit shy of 12 minutes, it’s the new split EP from Time X Heist and Without Love. They didn’t waste any time so why should we? Let’s get into it. Time X Heist, a straight edge band hailing from Colorado, take the first half of the album with an optimistic, but gritty, intensity. Opener ‘Keep On Fighting’ … Read more
Various Artists
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Vagrant (2005)
Tempers of music fans ran high from the day stories were posted on various sites that specific bands were to be covering songs that are heralded as classics in the genres of punk rock and hardcore. A metalcore band covering Bad Brains? A pop-punk band covering the legendary Gorilla Biscuits? Surely this is some sort of joke. Surely not. Say … Read more
Various Artists
Tunes From The Underground Postcard Vinyl Series
GC Records (2022)
Sitting down at my well-worn Arts and Crafts Mission Style desk I ponder with a quill pen firmly grasped between my index finger and thumb properly. Occasionally I dip the tip of the pen into the black ink well and glance at the ceiling lost in transition until thoughts of bitter torrid times are washed away by welcoming waves of … Read more
