Riverside
Shrine of New Generation Slaves
Inside Out (2013)
Riverside is one of those surprise acts, emerging out of Poland to somehow join the ranks of Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree as one of the biggest progressive bands of the 00s. And with critically acclaimed albums like Second Life Syndrome and Rapid Eye Movement under their belt, they've proven time and time again that they can deliver powerful, complex … Read more
Roaming Herds of Buffalo
Alien Canyons
Independent (2013)
Self-released in November of 2013, Roaming Herds of Buffalo’s Alien Canyons is the band’s second release to date. The Seattle-based group has described this outing as a “collaborative project” in their web-based press kit, although I’m not sure what to conclude from this vague statement. Maybe everyone played everything and everyone got songwriting credits? Maybe the band considers these types … Read more
Rorcal
Vilagvege
Cal Of Ror (2013)
My favorite thing about reviewing albums, aside from occasionally offending overly sensitive music fans or band members, is being unexpectedly surprised by an album that I otherwise may have missed. The description for Vilagvege on Rorcal’s website includes a line that initially peaked my interest. “When Doom turns into Black, you can't expect anything but chaos.” While it is a … Read more
Rudimentary Peni
Cacophony (Re-issue)
Outer Himilayan (2013)
In the darkest recesses of some of our minds lies an unspeakable and unknowable terror, and some artists have brushed against that darkness throughout time (some recent examples might be H.P. Lovecraft, Francis Bacon, and a select few others) and Cacophony is a perfect illustration for the madness induced by such brushes with our inner demons; although nowhere near as … Read more
Rumspringer
Stay Afloat
Dirt Cult (2013)
Every so often bands live up to their buzz. Rumspringer popped onto my radar through the defunct Dangerous Intersections series of 4-way splits from Traffic Street Records. I had one song at home on the comp., but it never got me deeper into the band’s catalog. Here comes 2013 and the band has released Stay Afloat on Dirt Cult Records—a … Read more
S/V\R
Sur Les Femmes I & II
Union Finale Records (2013)
S/V\R is the project of S. de la Moth of Menace Ruine and audio explorer/percussionist Chanoine V. The band’s earlier release entitled Celebration Noire, released through Handmade Birds, was excellent and now, after some time spent on meditation and soul searching the noise/industrial duo strikes back with their latest offering, Sur Les Femmes I & II. Split into two parts, … Read more
sadgiqacea
False Prism
Candlelight (2013)
After the release of an EP and two split albums, Sadgiqacea managed to land a deal with Candlelight Records under which their debut full-length album False Prism is coming out. The band from Pennsylvania is definitely one you want to check if you are into experimental heavy music, because they definitely know how to create imposing music that has the … Read more
Saturday Looks Good To Me
One Kiss Ends It All
Polyvinyl (2013)
A void was left in the world for those that enjoyed the jangly indie pop of Saturday Looks Good To Me when the group disbanded sometime following a tour in 2008 leaving us all wondering if we would ever hear the fun and sweet music that only Fred Thomas and company had been providing since they started playing their unique … Read more
Scale The Summit
The Migration
Prosthetic (2013)
To understand why Scale the Summit's newest release The Migration is so fascinating, you first need a bit of background:Scale the Summit's first couple of releases (Monument, Carving Desert Canyons) codified the same formula the band works by today; they play a brand of instrumental progressive metal that, through epic melodies and huge construction, is intended to invoke a sense … Read more
Seagraves
Weight of the World
Witchhunter Records (2013)
It turns out that in the time I decided to write about this record (approx one million months ago*) and actually writing about this record, that Seagraves have chosen to call time on the band. Which is a massive shame because Weight of the World is really great and I feel terrible about being so tardy with this review. Sorry … Read more
Sebastian Plano
Impetus
Denovali (2013)
Sebastian Plano returns two years after his debut album, Arrythmical Part of Hearts. The case of the Argentinian composer is a truly intriguing one. Born into a musical family, Plano became after years of training a multi instrumentalist and a magnificent music composer. Now, with his second album, Impetus, he expands musically even further, where his true genius lies, within … Read more
Seidr
Ginnungagap
Bindrune Records (2013)
Existing on the outer realms of the galaxies, where space and time collide, Seidr return with their sophomore release,Ginnungagap. Led by A. Lunn, also of Agnosis, Kolga, Throndt and most importantly of Panopticon, the band is here to build further upon the impact that their debut album, For Winter Fire, caused.Even though the band is at its core a doom … Read more
Self Defense Family
You Are Beneath Her
Iron Pier (2013)
Surely there has been a band (not just a group of musicians) that is as forward thinking about what the concept of being a “band” is as Self Defense Family (the band formerly known as End Of A Year), but none that I can think of other than say SunnO))) in the way that collaborators shape the music; You Are … Read more
Set and Setting
Equanimity
Sound Of Silence / Forcefield (2013)
I really enjoy how pretty “Through The Unhindered Break Of Day” is, and the idea that something so simple and borderline repetitive could somehow draw me in to Equanimity, the debut album from Florida’s Set And Setting, is a bit of a mystery until the album progresses and repeated visits with the record drive the point home; these calm and … Read more
Seven Sisters Of Sleep
Opium Morals
A389 (2013)
Think long and hard and decide just what it takes for a band to enter your own personal rarified air (sure this personal status can be mutable over time with bands falling out and joining in depending on how quickly your tastes might change); for me it can be as little as one record and can last an entire “Career” … Read more
Shai Hulud
Reach Beyond The Sun
Metal Blade (2013)
Despite their age and influence, Shai Hulud have rarely been the focal point of underground music. Sure, they've toured internationally, had some notable members during their time and have been released by some well-regarded labels; they've also had a permanently fluctuating lineup, periods of inactivity and a troubled relationship with the genre their guitarist, Matt Fox, coined- metalcore. However, they've … Read more
Shell Shag
Forever
Don Giovanni (2013)
Shell Shag put it all on the line in opener “Face to Face.” It’s an autobiographical song, about the two-piece band, their y-shaped microphone, and their art and their travels. When the record continues into the second track “Sweet Hoodie,” there’s a feeling that recalls 1980s pop, but the honesty overrides the hokiness of some of the reference material. Okay, … Read more
Signals Midwest
Light On The Lake
Tiny Engines (2013)
I’ve sat on this review for a while, waiting for that easy-to-describe-it moment to hit me. With Signals Midwest, I don’t know if that’s going to happen. The Cleveland band uses their Midwestern sensibility in their sound—it’s gritty, honest, and non-showy—but it’s also too distinct to tie to a geographic area. The band uses a punk influence throughout while playing … Read more
