Recent reviews

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

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

CIVIC

Taken By Force
ATO (2023)

You’re a professional musician. You fixate on creation. On guitar tones. On overarching themes. You’re writing your third studio album in Elphinstone, Australia- a town of less than 500 people. You and your bandmates have temporarily taken up residence here to craft your apocalyptic new LP. You’re thinking about disasters, emergencies, horrific tragedies. Naturally, that starts to bleed over into your dreams. Maybe you start having nightmares about red tinted sandstorms and nuclear explosions. You hear alarm bells in your sleep. But you’re awake now; the alarm bells haven’t stopped. You stumble outside with your bandmates, hot sun already burning down on you. No cell reception and no clue what’s going on. What happens when a not-quite-a-concept-album becomes a reality? CIVIC are an Australian punk band, formed in 2017, consisting of members Jim McCullough, Lewis Hodgson, Roland Hvlaka, Jackson Harry and Matt Blach. Their debut album New Vietnam was released in 2018 to overwhelmingly positive critical reception. CIVIC’s newest release, Taken By Force, may be well thought out but don’t call it a concept album. The band weren’t curled over desks storyboarding plot points Roger Waters style. They had a grand theme in mind, post-apocalypse, and a wall (haha) of … Read more

Various Artists

Litovsk/Hinin - Split EP
Bad Health Records, Dans le Vide, Donnez Moi Du Feu, Going Postal Records, Hidden Bay, Medication Time, Senseless Acts Of Anger (2023)

Two French bands join forces on this EP. Both bands deliver us one new song and one cover. Both play … Read more

Tukatukas

Royal Bourbon
D.I.Y. Koło Records (2022)

Hailing from Reunion Island surrounded by the Indian Ocean -Tukatukas take an exciting detour on punk/hardcore which brings you up … Read more

Truth Cult

Walk the Wheel
Pop Wig Records (2023)

Walk the Wheel is the second LP from Truth Cult, but my first introduction to them. My first impression was … Read more

Eric Angelo Bessel

Visitation
Lore City Music (2023)

Visitation is the debut solo album from visual artist and musician, Eric Angelo Bessel. One half of experimental, gothic, post … Read more

Skating Polly

Hickey King
El Camino Media (2023)

There’s always a fear, of course, that the anticipation is better. That the five year long wait was actually the … Read more

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One from the archives

Mike Hale

Lives Like Mine
Suburban Home (2009)

In the Red frontman Mike Hale recently made the decision to be a musician full-time and he's been very busy at work considering that his solo record, Lives Like Mine, was recorded only two weeks after In the Red's second album was released. One would think that the album may have been rushed and the quality of the songs may have been effected but that is certainly not the case here as Hale's songwriting skills really blossom on Lives Like Mine. Lives Like Mine shows a deeper, stripped down version of Mike Hale as most songs only feature his voice and an acoustic guitar, with an accompanying piano on a few tracks. He uses these instruments to give Lives Like Mine a very depressing vibe. It's a very dark and … Read more

More album reviews

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 … 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 twelve track split album entitled Brains For Friends. This is by far the best thing to come out of Russia since balaclavas and vodka, especially in the last year or so. Brains For Friends features three tracks from four different … 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’ general sound. That said, it’s really the second song, “Desert Train,” which gets this album rolling for me. It’s a fierce guitar song that’s hard and driving. Just like its name, it’s steeped in classic rock but with modern twists. … 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 https://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews ... purgatory/. This EP entitled 3 Hits From Purgatory contains two previously unreleased tracks from the Purgatory sessions. "New Descent" and "Nine Guys (No Weapons)" might not have made it onto the album, instead they were destined for bigger … 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 other bands, none of which rung a bell. On this self-titled album the band incorporates a big range of influences. Their Bandcamp tells me this album should appeal to fans of Killing Joke, Discharge, Converge, Jesus Lizard, Daughters, Dead Cross, … 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 policy, or generally children who are not registered in the national household registration system.” Not exactly what I expected. I am not really sure what this name means for the band. Perhaps it just sounds cool to them. Perhaps they … Read more

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

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