Recent reviews

Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

Reviews by score
Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

Katatonia

Sky Void of Stars
Napalm (2023)

Forgive me, for a moment, while I take some time to explain that sitting down to write this piece was difficult. I stopped and started several times and that’s not counting the amount of days I spent just thinking about writing a review. You see, Katatonia are an institution and I felt that trying to describe their music was a task that deserved reverence, that I had to do justice to their creation. That seemed insurmountable. For a month I opened and closed my laptop, wondering if I could even begin another longform written piece about an album. It’s been a while. Depression is wild. I’m sure Katatonia’s frontman and lyricist, Jonas Renkse can relate. In his words there is darkness, overwhelming at times, yet there are tiny slivers of hope in the realisation that you are not alone that allow a small handhold to climb out of the abyss. Still, it’s taken some time to get even that first paragraph out of the way and now its done, the pathway towards the end becomes slightly clearer. Sky Void of Stars is a stunning entry in the Swedish band’s vast catalogue, one that has been evolving from the death/doom of … Read more

Various Artists

Brains For Friends
Bubblegum Attack Records (2022)

Bubblegum Attack Records from Moscow, Russia have brought together four awesome and uniquely different horrorpunk bands to bring us this … Read more

Screaming Females

Desire Pathway
Don Giovanni (2023)

The lead song and first single on Desire Pathway” is “Brass Bell,” a fine song that’s indicative of Screaming Females’ … Read more

Won't Stay Dead

3 Hits From Purgatory
We Are Horror Records (2023)

Won't Stay Dead are back with a few more tracks following on from their album Purgatory released in Oct 2022 … Read more

Buen Destino

Buen Destino
BCore (2023)

Buen Destino is a new hardcore band from Barcelona. It is formed by members and ex-members of a host of … Read more

Heihaizi

Heihaizi
Turbo Discos (2023)

Google Heihaizi and you will find a wikipedia entry telling you: “The term denotes children born outside the One child … Read more

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One from the archives

The Mimes

Plastic Pompeii
Lets Pretend (2021)

After all the bedroom pop to come out of quarantine, we finally have a band doing something new that sounds like a real record, not an experiment. The Mimes features Maura Weaver, John Hoffman, and Megan Schroer, who played together in Boys long ago, and more recently in separate projects such as Homeless Gospel Choir, Ogikubo Station, and Vacation.Fittingly, The Mimes sound a bit like all three of those bands. But it’s far more experimental in nature, even if they mask it well by layering melodic guitars, vocals, and synthesizer up front and mixing the weird bangs, clangs, vocal effects underneath.This record feels like a journey -- or more accurately, a trip. It starts out upbeat and peppy: hopeful but cynical, then it turns into a mind trip with cyclical … Read more

More album reviews

Bogos

Empty Bottles
Voodoo Rhythm (2022)

Sante, Salud, Prost ,Salute ,Saúde,Proost, Skål,Kippis,3а здоровье,乾杯, 건배,干杯 ,Şerefe ,في صحتك , לחיים , ΥΓΕΙΑ , Na zdrowie ,Na zdraví, Cheers! I sauntered into the dimly lit old man's bar closing the door behind the impeding swirling snowstorm brewing outside. Upon my unnoticed entry(this was no Cheers!-no cries of Norm were echoed by patrons) my eyes were immediately drawn to … Read more

The Creepy Crawlers

Attack!
We Are Horror Records (2023)

Ohio based trio The Creepy Crawlers formed in October 2022. The brainchild of vocalist/guitarist Rev. Chad Wells (The Jackalopes/Cricketbows) and features band mates Scarika Watson and P.J Wells, also from psychedelic rock band Cricketbows. The Creepy Crawlers blend shock-rock and horror-rock, incorporating songs inspired by true crime, the occult and 80s horror movies. This five track EP was lovingly created … Read more

Houseghost

Another Realm
Rad Girlfriend Records (2022)

Houseghost sprung up in late 2020, releasing their debut near Halloween. Two years later the ghost returns with more stories from Another Realm. The band features members of other bands and play poppy punk with a lot of harmonies. It’s peppy, catchy stuff that’s more about singalongs and pogoing than spitting vitriol. The band also has a theme or, arguably, … Read more

The Brokedowns

Maximum Khaki
Red Scare Industries (2023)

As musicians grow older, they have less time to play live, to tour, and to write. It’s been five years since Sick Of Space. The world may have changed, but The Brokedowns have not. Maximum Khaki may nod to their middle-age in the title, and songs like “I’m Sore,” reinforce that, but at heart The Brokedowns are still some goofy … Read more

Tim Barry

Spring Hill
Chunksaah (2022)

Spring Hill is the latest solo record from Tim Barry and, to be up front, I took the last couple records off after the first few were starting to sound a bit “samey.” But it only takes a few notes on Spring Hill to see that Barry has righted that ship and really developed into a solo performer. The first … Read more

Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Super Band

Let's Have a Dream- Live in Japan 1974
Idol Japan Records (2022)

" She led me up the dusty cobbled dirt path to a small ledge filled with tiny rock sculptures. We sat with our small flasks of water staring out over the abyss. Words were not spoken nor whispered, I could hear the soft breathing exhaled from her mouth as silence encompassed our tiny world. Without hesitation, she turned her head … Read more

The Deathtones

The American Invasion
We Are Horror Records (2023)

After a quick detox over the festive season The Deathtones have reanimated and dug themselves back up from the grave after a very busy 2022 where they recorded and released no fewer than 8 singles and 4 EPs. The Deathtones formed in late 2021 releasing their first song "All Hallows Eve" that Oct, the rest as they say is history, … Read more

Goddamnit

All The Time Is Yours Now
Sell The Heart Records (2022)

With a plodding, building guitar line, a slow drum intro and the opening lyrics of “Light a candle / For the good times gone away,” Goddamnit isn’t subtle of where they’re going on All The Time Is Yours Now. Playing Hot Water Music-style punk, it’s a break-up record steeped in old school emo. While the lyrics are somewhat weighted in … Read more

Perennial

In The Midnight Hour
Independent (2022)

Art-punk is usually a description that makes me move out of the way. Most of the art-punk I have heard so far just isn’t my cup of tea. Every rule has its exceptions, so here we are; I have listened to In The Midnight Hour dozens of times already. There is two things you need to know about this last … Read more

The Christian Family

The Raw and Primitive Sound Of
Voodoo Rhythm (2022)

Repent, Repel, Rejoice, Rejuvenate, Respiritualize, Requiem, Repeat Friends, I come to you today with a message of hope and salvation. In a world filled with darkness and despair, it is easy to lose sight of the light and The Christian Family's love. However, I urge you to remember that no matter how complex your circumstances may be, The Christian Family … Read more

Crisis Party

Welcome To The Party EP
Dirt Cult (2022)

Crisis Party is another band from Matty Grace, who SPB has covered in various capacity, playing with Cluttered, Auditory Postcards, Future Girls, and maybe more. There’s a common lo-fi, high-energy anxiety to their poppy-punk, but Crisis Party is a new band and that comes across instantly. Those other bands (which also deal with serious, heavy topics) feel generally positive in … Read more

Los Morts

Slasher
Monsterbilly Records (2022)

Prolific Peruvian horrorpunk ghouls Los Morts released this 4 track EP, Slasher on the most sacred of horrorpunk holidays... halloween! The 31st of October is the day that many horrorpunk bands look to release material but the year that Los Mort do not, will always make halloween that little bit emptier so all praise to zombie Jesus that Los Morts … Read more

Dead End Drive-In

A Worthwhile Endeavour
Early Onset Records (2023)

Discontent, a few degrees away from unease, oozes from the riffs of Dead End Drive-In’s new album, A Worthwhile Endeavour. Another release from Early Onset Records’ recent slew of disillusioned bands, Dead End Drive-In treads along a well worn path, much like labelmates Stuttr and Brass. On paper the existential crises might be getting old but on record the band … Read more

Lore City

Under Way
Lore City Music (2022)

Under Way is a two track EP from the duo Lore City who are, Laura Mariposa Williams and Eric Angelo Bessel, currently based in Portland, Oregon. Released in October 2022 it is 11 minutes and 17 seconds of dreamy, experimental, gothic, psychedelia that will have you reaching for the play button again as soon as it's over. I'm not one … Read more

Reviews by score
Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

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