Thursday / Envy
Split
Temporary Residence (2008)
Envy is having an extremely busy year in 2008: re-releasing much of their back catalog, the Abyssal EP, a split with Jesu, and now a split with Thursday (actually, between the two splits and the EP, Envy could very well have released a new full-length on their own). Thursday, on the other hand, is in the midst of a fairly … Read more
Thursday / Envy
Split
Temporary Residence (2008)
The pairing of a so-called emo band from New Jersey and a screamo/post-rock band from Japan may seem odd. But for those well versed in the recordings of both Thursday and Envy, this partnering of punk-minded individuals makes a lot of sense. Thursday begin the split with "As He Climbed the Dark Mountain." The sound set forth by the New … Read more
Tigers Jaw
Tigers Jaw
Prision Jazz (2008)
Everyone in the indie music world seems to be aiming for their own distinct sound and the Pennsylvanian quintet Tigers Jaw are just another mere tadpole in a big lake. With that being said, their self-titled album is very enjoyable and will probably be a big hit for those who are fans of 90's indie rock/emo(whatever it's considered). While their … Read more
Tim Barry
Manchester
Suburban Home (2008)
Manchester is the latest album by Avail frontman Tim Barry. Barry has always had a very distinctive voice. Not just vocally, but lyrically and thematically. So as he offers up his second proper solo effort, Manchester, we are once again taken along for a ride with his slightly sweet and bitter, sometimes gravelly voice as he weaves tales of soldiers … Read more
Timber
2008
Something Crucial (2008)
Hailing from Maryland, Timber is a hardcore outfit that plays an interesting style of the genre that reaches beyond the typical sounds associated with the genre. They've got the fast and aggressive riffs and the coarse screaming you'd expect. But they also incorporate melodic and post-hardcore elements into their songs thanks to some sweet guitar work. You've got this Embrace-esque … Read more
Title Fight
Kingston
Flight Plan (2008)
Title Fight is the latest pop-punk/melodic hardcore outfit to emerge from the school of Saves the Day/Lifetime. The three songs that comprise this 7" are rooted in the sound of early Saves the Day, but they've also got a bit of a post-hardcore vibe going on as well. Musically I suppose this could be loosely described as pop-punk, but it's … Read more
Today is the Day
Supernova (Reissue)
SuperNova (2008)
Supernova is the first album from Today is the Day, which was originally released in 1993 on Amphetamine Reptile Records. Being out of print for quite sometime, Steve Austin (vocalist, guitarist, main songwriter of Today is the Day and producer of Converge, Lamb of God, and others) is re-releasing this on his own label, which interestingly enough is named from … Read more
Today is the Day
Today is the Day (Reissue)
SuperNova (2008)
Today is the Day provide us with another reissue of an out of print album, their third full-length, Today is the Day. This album is also significant because it is the first one that the group produced on their own at Austin Enterprises (the recording studio of the group's mastermind, Steve Austin). This self-titled effort also marks a significant lineup … Read more
Tokyo Police Club
Elephant Shell
Saddle Creek (2008)
Tokyo Police Club's A Lesson In Crime put the band in an awkward position. The seven-song EP gained a substantial amount of praise/coverage for it's less than twenty-minute run time, showing a glimpse of energetic indie pop somewhere between a dance party and a rock out that, despite it's length, made it one of the best releases of 2006. In … Read more
Torche
Meanderthal
Hydra Head (2008)
By now, most people that care enough to know that Torche's point of origination begins with the fall of Steve Brooks' former band, Floor. Torche has certainly done enough differently to explicitly set itself apart from the former group, but it seems as though now they are coming full circle with the second Torche LP, Meanderthal. Following the excellent In … Read more
Tournament
Swordswallower
Trip Machine Laboratories (2008)
With silkscreen cover art and a handwritten inventory number on Swordswallower, the Brooklyn-based Tournament (ex-Paragraph) have released an impressive debut. The press sheet is informative and avoids sounding too infomercial, and the personal approach (except for the handwritten "promo" on the inner sleeve) make this an appealing package from Trip Machine Laboratories. Their bio shows they come from a diverse … Read more
Transistor Transistor
Ruined Lives
Level Plane (2008)
A towering full stack stands alone in a winter-worn forest of New England. Dead branches have routinely fallen in a seasonal battle of survival, but the amplifier remains. The cover of the album is simple, but it sends a message of solidity. Transistor Transistor, four New Hampshirites on Level Plane Records, add to their repertoire with their second full-length, Ruined … Read more
Transit
This Will Not Define Us
Barrett (2008)
Imagine it's the last part of 90's and you're some wide-eyed kid who thinks you're older late-teens brother is the coolest person in world. Your older brother also plays guitar in a cool band and owns records by bands named Texas is the Reason, The Get Up Kids, The Movielife, and Braid. One sad day your brother heads off to … Read more
Transitions
Positive Hardcore
Independent (2008)
This CD is a three song demo of 90's hardcore on the posi tip (obviously). It sounds like a cross between Mouthpiece and Undertow. So you probably already tell I like this. It's a complete throwback to when I got into hardcore and not breaking any new ground but for three tracks you really can't complain. It's heavy with simple … Read more
Trap Them / Extreme Noise Terror
Split
Deathwish Inc. (2008)
Admittedly, this is one hell of a split record. Seriously, it would be interesting to have been a fly on the wall when this idea was tossed around by the guilty parties. Starting with Extreme Noise Terror because of their longevity (having formed in England in 1985 and still going) and place in punk and grind history (with Napalm Death … Read more
Trash Talk
Plagues
Malfunction (2008)
2007 was a huge year for this group of young men from Sacramento. A relentless touring schedule in support of their debut full-length, Walking Disease, fueled a hype machine - not necessarily in a bad way - that landed them on Malfunction Records and onto a lot of hardcore kids' favorites of '07 lists. Plagues picks up where the band … Read more
Trash Talk
Trash Talk
Trash Talk Collective (2008)
Trash Talk, the hype band come hardcore mainstays through relentless touring, have a lot of eyes and ears on them with the release of their self-titled album. Adhering to the D.I.Y. ethics that are the backbone of punk, the Sacramento band opted to release their newest album themselves, leaving behind Deathwish Inc., one of the largest labels in hardcore. If … Read more
Trees
Lights Bane
Crucial Blast (2008)
A monolithic drone keeps you on guard. You're waiting for whatever is coming, but you don't know that "what" is. The artwork of Trees' Lights Bane hints at something intense, but there's an ambiguity that accompanies it. The album, the Portland quartet's debut, has only two tracks listed, and each of them are over twelve minutes in length. Lights Bane... … Read more
