War From A Harlots Mouth
MMX
Lifeforce (2010)
War from a Harlots Mouth is definitely not new to the metal core or death core scene. They’ve been around a while, done tours, essentially put in their time. But, how has this experience shaped them when it comes to writing and recording? The blunt answer seems to be that it hasn’t in a big way.What we get is well-played … Read more
War On Women
Wonderful Hell
Bridge Nine (2020)
I owe War On Women an apology. This review was due months ago, but some shit circumstances came about and an unplanned hiatus was from Scene Point Blank was needed. The band deserved far better and I very much regret that I wasn’t around to give them the lauds and love upon Wonderful Hell’s release because had I been around … Read more
WAR//PLAGUE
On A Darker Dawn
Profane Existence (2012)
Minneapolis’ scene veterans WAR//PLAGUE have finally released their debut full-length LP On A Darker Dawn on Profane Existence Records. The recipe first displayed on their debut 7” single Smolder b/w Malevolent Winds and subsequent Attrition split LP with Police Bastard continues to evolve, albeit minor—then ‘n’ now comparisons show them veering in slightly different directions while still snarled up in … Read more
WAR//PLAGUE
Temperaments of War EP
Profane Existence (2014)
Over the course of their last few records these Minneapolis crust punk stalwarts have really honed their metal chops. I’ll do my best to avoid any “who put their metal in my punk” type of argument and just say, as someone who prefers my metalpunx leaning more to the punk side, I find Temperaments of War a little less intriguing … Read more
Warbringer
Waking Into Nightmares
Century Media (2009)
A little over a year has passed since the release of Warbringer's debut album, War Without End, an album which was solid, but didn't really have any lasting value. Imagine opening a time capsule and finding an unreleased Sepultura album from 1987, that was basically what War Without End was. Not saying it's a bad thing, but I felt the … Read more
Warhorse
As Heaven Turns To Ash...
Southern Lord (2015)
As much as I like the “what if?” scenarios, at the same time I hate them. It is always nice to theorize about what could have happened if x has taken place instead of y. In the case of Warhorse that is a big “what if?” and at the same time an unavoidable one. The band from Massachusetts started off … Read more
Wartorn
Domestic Terrorist / Under Oath
Profane Existence (2013)
If you had asked me two years ago if I’d rather hear another Wartorn song or be kicked in the crotch by a Clydesdale that’s wearing a pair ice climbing cleats, I probably would have picked the option that left me crying in the fetal position with bloody underpants and no chance of ever having children. But with arrival of … Read more
Washington Social Club
Catching Looks
Badman (2004)
"Move the flipping* Audi [away from the front of the club]!" shouted one of the members of the Washington Social Club to the audience. They drew quite a crowd -including an Audi - for a headlining show at the Black Cat in Washington DC. I was not intrigued at first impression; I was there to see another local band and … Read more
Watain
Trident Wolf Eclipse
Century Media (2018)
Spending any length of time with Watain will convince you of at least one thing: this is a band who means it. For this Swedish horde, black metal is life. It’s everything and for frontman Erik Danielsson it’s an integral part of his personality. Interviews with him always tend on the intense side and for Watain that passion spills through … Read more
Water & Bodies
Water & Bodies
Rain City (2009)
One of the newest bands to come out of Portland, Water & Bodies are looking to make an impact in the music world. Despite only forming a few months before, they have already recorded an EP and are hoping it'll lead to great things. Judging from this EP, it will be a while before they make an impact, maybe even … Read more
Wavelets
Athaletics
Tiny Engines (2012)
The term emo is an overused and wrongly purposed adjective in today’s music culture, often used to describe overbearing metalcore. To this young writer “emo” music comes from bands of the nineties that are in the vein of Sunny Day Real Estate and The Promise Ring, characterized by a healthy balance of vocal strain and heartfelt lyrics, not sick breakdowns … Read more
Wayne Hancock
Ride
Bloodshot (2013)
Wayne “The Train” Hancock doesn’t play music to pump you up for a Saturday night on the town. Instead, Hancock’s old-school flavored country is more suited for sitting in a dim bar and lamenting your sorrows, putting the past away and, eventually, moving on. I also discovered on my first listen that it’s quite suitable for -10 degrees Fahrenheit.The album … Read more
We are the Living
Encouragement by Assault
Hungry Ghost Collective (2009)
Do not confuse this Louisiana band with the Tennessee band of the same name. Otherwise you will find yourself looking at a very nice flash based website with a band that has some really bad hair. Louisiana's We are the Living seem to have decent do's and play 90's influenced indie hardcore that you wouldn't be surprised to see on … Read more
We Insist!
Oh! Things are so Corruptible
Corruptible (2007)
Hailing from Paris, France, the bizarrely titled sextet We Insist! recently unveiled the fourth LP of a chronicled and equally reclusive catalogue. With a small following at home-base and even fewer listeners worldwide, new ears could be quick to assume that a moniker of implied force alludes to some kind of emblematic punk rock romp that's heavy on the garage … Read more
We Never Learned To Live
The Sleepwalk Transmissions
Holy Roar Records (2019)
With the music world transferring more and more to a digital world I sometimes feel that the artwork that acompanies an album has become less and less important. I mean, the transition from LP to CD meant the room for artwork was smaller. The transition to the digital format means there’s even less space for artwork. And then there’s stuff … Read more
We Versus The Shark
Ruin Everything!
Hello Sir (2005)
Sharks are awesome. They have big teeth, they've been around since the dinosaurs, and they'll eat anything. Sharks are awesome. We Versus The Shark are pretty cool, too. Their music is razor-sharp and jagged, not unlike shark teeth. But they haven't been around quite as long, it seems. Ruin Everything! is their debut effort. (Pfft. Mick Jagger rocked out with … Read more
We're All Broken
Blacktop Cry
Devildance (2009)
We're All Broken's name may sound familiar to you because they've opened for a lot of big names like Thursday, Minus the Bear, and The Gaslight Anthem over the years. This five-piece have just undergone a bit of a change in style with their new EP, Blacktop Cry. Their former post-hardcore stylings have been abandoned in favor of a more … Read more
We're Doomed
Like A Machine
Independent (2011)
Despite what they may want you to think, We're Doomed don't sound like the end of the world. They sound more like Muse took some Adderall and borrowed whatever illegal-drug-based songwriting method I highly suspect that Battles uses. If their debut EP Like a Machine is the apocalypse, it's certainly the most enjoyable one since we on Earth failed to … Read more
