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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)

Pick Your Side

Let Me Show You How Democracy Works
A389 (2012)

Pick Your Side came out last year seemingly out of nowhere. The band was merely touted by many as the return of Beckman. The man best known as the throat that drove the infamous Haymaker. While this alone doesn't make the band It still is basically a who's who of the Toronto area metal and hardcore scenes. So when their first EP came out last year those of us who knew their pedigree had reason to be excited. So after said EP (that being a 10 song 7 inch) the band has reconvened to create this full length LP. While the overall Haymaker style remains generally intact. That is to say the band play a style of hardcore that relies on speed without being a grindcore band. Similar in a sense to early Black Flag. While the band plays a basic style similar to that they incorporate a strong sense of metal and overall heaviness. So overall the band tread towards powerviolence without ever fully crossing over into that style, instead choosing to remain clear and heavy. The band revel in their fury with a workman like consistency never relying on slow part to make fast parts seems more powerful … Read more

The Mars Volta

Noctourniquet
Warner Bros. (2012)

There are few bands as polarizing as The Mars Volta. And while I've found both good and bad in the … Read more

Rise and Fall

Faith
Deathwish Inc. (2012)

Rise And fall are a hardcore band from Belgium formed in 2002 out of the ashes of bands The Deal … Read more

L'Assassins

7 PM Go!!!
Big Action (2012)

Big Action Records’ latest release, 7pm Go!!! from L’Assassins is definitely in line with their recent catalog. Instead of throwback … Read more

The Sidekicks

Awkward Breeds
Red Scare Industries (2012)

Cleveland, Ohio's The Sidekicks have always had it in them to make a record like this. It’s their most polished, … Read more

Iggy & The Stooges

Raw Power: Live In The Hands Of The Fans
MVD Visual (2011)

I am a monster Stooges fan, particularly from the Raw Power era on to their incendiary demise (not a long … Read more

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One from the archives

Dynamite Arrows

Blowin' It
Mauled by Tigers (2008)

Dynamite Arrows offers up four tracks on Blowin' It. The four-piece have concocted a fine mixture of melodic punk, hardcore, and traditional pop-punk. Musically I'm reminded of the likes of Kid Dynamite and Latterman. The vocals are a bit less coarse, delivered in a slightly nasal harmony. The pace of the songs is very upbeat and they evoke a very energetic mood into the listener. If you miss early tunes of Saves the Day, then you might take solace in what is recorded here. If you like what you hear, Dynamite Arrows also has a split 7" with Brainworms out on Rorschach Records. Read more

More album reviews

Pink Floyd

The Wall (Experience Edition)
Capitol (2012)

The last of the three major Pink Floyd albums to be expanded and reissued is their 1979 double-album opus The Wall. If you haven't heard of this album already, then...well, you're probably lying. I'm willing to bet that, when I type "WE DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION", literally all of you now have "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" stuck … Read more

Shambles

Self Titled
Independent (2012)

Shambles is a pop-punk band from Boston, with a love for melody, circle pits and post ironic song titles. On the surface, they seem to be a fairly generic pop-punk band and I won’t completely dismiss that but there’s a lot of great aspects to this self-released EP. The best thing about this album is the honestly that really comes … Read more

The Love Below

Every Tongue Shall Caress
A389 (2012)

California's The Love Below seemed to sadly fly under the radar upon the release of their last EP. Said EP "Reproductive Rights" played a speedy yet heavy style of hardcore the record benefited from grungey production and equally grimy lyrics. This trend continued on their split with Homewrecker last year managing to add slight touches of sludge to further accentuate … Read more

Pharaoh Overlord

Lunar Jetman
Sige (2012)

Sweet jesus did this record ever hit my stereo at just the right time because Lunar Jetman is making its third consecutive journey on my turntable as we speak (after listening to it a few times without noticing just how good the album is, maybe due to some preoccupation with something else), and to be perfectly honest, Pharaoh Overlord lays … Read more

Graf Orlock

Los Angeles
Vitriol (2012)

Graf Orlock has never been a band to waste time. Much like any of their other releases there's never a meandering part or ambient build up. Instead it is and always has been no nonsense grind with a touch of hardcore and a tongue puncturing their collective cheeks. Their music remains dead serious but is leavened with a liberal use … Read more

Joyce Manor

Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired
Asian Man (2012)

My hopes weren’t set high in regards to the second album by Joyce Manor. Even through all the praise and acclaim their self-titled album received, it didn’t separate the fact that the band was super young and just starting out. Their debut reeked of freshness and harkened back to beginnings of bands like Jawbreaker, and Alkaline Trio. So there it … Read more

Revilers

Self Titled
Patac (2012)

Boston punk outfit Revilers have been kicking about on their local scene since 2008, and finally dropped debut album Revilers on Patac Records at the end of March. Containing thirteen no-holds-barred and vitriolic as heck anthems, Revilers builds on the EP's (Isolation, Stand or Fall - both on Patac) the band have released previously and fully realises their stance on … Read more

Special Providence

Soul Alert
Hunnia (2012)

A lot of cool music can come from unexpected places. I’ve never been to Hungary myself, but they must be doing something right over there if they’re producing bands as good as the instrumental, prog-rock powerhouse Special Providence, especially considering their latest album, 2012’s Soul Alert.The most noticeable thing about the music is that nearly everything, especially the main melodies, … Read more

Dirty Three

Toward The Low Sun
Drag City (2012)

The things I like about this album start with the art itself; guitarist Mick Turner's beautiful artwork perfectly captures his music's mood and sound. In fact, it's the best visual summary I can give of Dirty Three's newest album, Toward the Low Sun.Primarily, the album seeks to obtain this extremely casual, laid-back atmosphere, as if just a collection of rough … Read more

Young And In The Way

Amen / I Am Not What I Am
A389 (2012)

Young And In The Way is a band from North Carolina with some influence from second wave black metal as well as the steadily growing holy terror movement. This double LP combines their 4th release, I Am Not What I Am with their 3rd release, Amen. While holding up as a satisfactory release for any fan of the genre, neither … Read more

fun.

Some Nights
Fueled By Ramen (2012)

I'm just gonna say right now that I'm a huge fan of The Format and fun. I could go on and on about how easily I can gush over either band. Aim & Ignite was one of my favorite albums in years. I became overly excited and anxious anticipating Some Nights. I was interested in seeing how a hip-hop influenced … Read more

Tenement

Blind Wink
Cowabunga (2011)

Appleton, WI’s Tenement are a busy beast. The two-plus-piece band (featuring numerous guest musicians) released Napalm Dream in 2011, which I gave a heavy Replacements recommendation on. December 2011 saw the band already unleashing another record, this time the collection Blind Wink, available on varied formats from the likes of Cowabunga (LP), Hang Up (CD), and Dead Broke (cassette). With … Read more

The Hussy

Weed Seizure
Tic Tac Totally (2012)

Just a year ago I was writing about Cement Tomb Mind Control. Here we are in 2012, and the Madison, WI two-piece is already dropping their second full-length,Weed Seizure, on Tic Tac Totally Records. Considering the backbone of The Hussy is to play l-o-u-d garage rock, there isn’t a dramatic shift here in style. The changes are more in nuance.With … Read more

Tyburn Saints

You And I In Heaven
Independent (2012)

It’s truly a pleasure to be listening to new music from Tyburn Saints. Their last full length, 2010’s For the Benefit of Strangers, was a nice throwback to jangly lo-fi artists like The Jesus and Mary Chain and Galaxy 500. With this EP, the band has fully embraced the sonic landscapes of shoegaze and dream-pop, thus giving a more rewarding … 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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