Stay Sharp
Four Songs
Monkey Wrench (2008)
I remember lurking various bands Myspaces and coming across this Philadelphia band. I remember liking it, I also remember saying something about how Stay Sharp sounded like Lifetime. What's not to love? Well now this four-song EP is rocking in my boombox and now Stay Sharp remind of Holding On's Question What You Live For album. Yes, it's more fast … Read more
Stebmo
Stebmo
Southern Lord (2008)
This is the first solo record from Steve Moore; no this is not the same Steve Moore that is half of the soundscape group Zombi, but rather this is the multi instrumentalist that one can hear and see with Earth since their "comeback" album Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method. Stebmo is Steve Moore's first solo album after working … Read more
Stella Dawes
Contrasts
Independent (2008)
Stella Dawes sent us a promo of Contrasts with a press sheet on which they wrote too much about themselves. In all honestly, it turned me off to their album before I even listened to the twelve songs. They say their influences are "Poison the Well, Underoath" and "'screamo' bands." Thankfully, the music isn't exactly what I anticipated. The vocals … Read more
Steve Von Till
A Grave is a Grim Horse
Neurot (2008)
For those who do not know who Steve Von Till is, Von Till is a guitarist and vocalist in the seminal outfit Neurosis. And while that band is one of the heaviest bands on the planet, Von Till's solo records are dark, folk-esque experiences which are stark portraits into a different side of the man that produces them. His solo … Read more
Stove Bredsky
The Black Ribbon Award
Hydra Head (2008)
No, that is indeed the correct name for this latest album by one, Stephen Brodsky (Cave In, Pet Genius, Kid Kilowatt, Converge, etc). And while his sanity level might be questioned initially by the naming of the project his relationship to it is undeniable when compared to other material throughout his prolific career as a musician in bands and as … Read more
Suicide Note
Empty Rooms
Hawthorne Street (2008)
Some things just get better with age. Suicide Note is one of those things. As the band has progressed over the past ten years they are gradually refined their sound and improved their songwriting. With each new release came another step forward. And now with the release of their latest full-length, Empty Rooms, the band is nearly at the pinnacle … Read more
Sunn 0)))
Dømkirke
Southern Lord (2008)
Dømkirke is a live Sunn 0))) album recorded at Bergen Cathedral of Bergen, Norway as part of the Borealis Festival 2007. The twelfth-century cathedral was a perfect setting for the March 2007 performance that also featured Attlia Csihar on vocals, Steve Moore on pipe organ, and Lasse Marhaug on electronics. The double album was a vinyl-only release with absolutely stunning … Read more
Sunny Day Sets Fire
Stranger Remix EP
I Am Sound (2008)
Choosing a band name is a tricky thing. If you choose one that sounds lame, people will write you off before they've even heard you. In this case, if you choose a name that's very close to a band that's already existed, then the listener has to wonder a few things. The listener wonders if Sunny Day Sets Fire just … Read more
Supermachiner
Rise of the Great Machine (Reissue)
E-Vinyl (2008)
Supermachiner is the short-lived project of Jacob Bannon of Converge and Ryan Parker where they eventually enlisted the input of fellow Converge member Kurt Ballou as well as Seth Bannon. And before anyone gets excited about the possible likeness to Converge, this outfit is a much different animal that is more in line with Jacob's much more recent solo work … Read more
Swingin' Utters
Hatest Grits: B-Sides and Bullshit
Fat Wreck Chords (2008)
If the name isn't clear enough for you, the Swingin' Utters' new record, Hatest Grits: B-Sides and Bullshit, does not contain new material. It also does not contain greatest hits, which is a little less clear. Instead, there are (surprise!) b-sides, demos, three Cock Sparrer songs, and other unreleased odds and ends. If you're new to the band, they've been … Read more
Technostress
Technostress
Postfact (2008)
First EP from this trio that consists of Treiops Treyfid (ex-Pitchblende) on bass and vocals, Aimee Soubier on guitar, and Karl Hill on drums (both recently of The Factory Incident). I'm hearing early PiL, some Peter Murphy, and an overall healthy respect for Manchester post-punk from the dawn of the 80's. "All is Styled" crackles and burns with some cool … Read more
Teenage Bottlerocket
Warning Device
Red Scare (2008)
Bark Like a Dog by Screeching Weasel was the first punk rock album that I ever fell in love with, which means (in theory) that any album that reminds of Bark Like a Dog will serve me as a romantic rehashing of why I fell in love punk rock. This means that by the absurd logic I just put forth … Read more
Terror
The Damned, The Shamed
Century Media (2008)
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
Testament
The Formation of Damnation
Nuclear Blast (2008)
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
The (Fallen) Black Deer
Requiem
Southern (2008)
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
The (International) Noise Conspiracy
The Cross of My Calling
American/Vagrant (2008)
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
The Acacia Strain
Continent
Prosthetic (2008)
Oh, the wasted potential. Sweet, sweet potential, flushed away like nothing. The Acacia Strain has been building a name by pummeling faces with their relentless breakdowns and searing guitar leads, appealing to the scuzzy kids you see at shows who have their hoodies up and can't wait to do a spinkick right into your innocent crotch. Except they found a … Read more
The Architects
Vice
Anodyne (2008)
You know that Less Than Jake song, "All My Best Friends Are Metalheads?" Well, just keep that in mind for a minute. On The Architects' third release, Vice, there are catchy, group-sung choruses that spring images of dudes in leather jackets walking in synch down a dark street. This, however, is not an ironic project. The Kansas City group features … Read more
