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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)

The Endless Blockade

Primitive
20 Buck Spin (2008)

I don't know how much of it has to do with the fluctuation of my own tastes, but I have found A LOT of really good power violence records this year - either ones that have come out recently or that I missed the boat on slightly. And at the top of that pile is The Endless Blockade. From Toronto, I can only assume these are ex-members of something I should probably know, but it seems pretty inconsequential since their catalog, and Primitive especially, stands on its own merits. While I have heard some detractors that were unamused with their split with Warzone Womyn (which I have not heard, admittedly), I can say that anyone that enjoys fastcore/thrashcore/625core or whatever branding you want to slap on this will be most pleased. Taking cues from Man is the Bastard, Primitive generally stays in the upper tempos, punctuated with blast beats while occasionally dropping into sludge territory to break up the monotony that a lot of these records fall into. There is also an almost requisite amount of experimentation that goes along with their genre hopping - short noise tracks, bizarre samples, noise loops behind mid-paced chord progressions. All of it makes … Read more

Batoche

Terra Incognita
Independent (2007)

Batoche is a fast-paced, self-proclaimed DIY hardcore/metal band from Vancouver, Canada. They have released three records independently (and changed their … Read more

Indian Summer

Science 1994 (Reissue)
Future (2008)

Following up the recent release of their live "discography", Hidden Arithmetic, Indian Summer is re-releasing their "studio" discography to make … Read more

Lords of the North

Lords of the North
Radio Optik (2008)

Ah, the sludge. The slow and heavy beats that make you want to grow out your hair just to make … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Inhuman

Last Rites
I Scream (2007)

Inhuman have been around since the dawn of time. Well okay, fifteen years. They are always pegged as "The Most … Read more

200 Words Or Less

History

Ghosts in the City
24-Hour Service Station (2007)

I hate being lied too. I remember wanting this CD for review because the one-sheet was all about this Orlando, … Read more

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One from the archives

Catch Your Breath

Life & Sounds
Dismantle (2008)

200 Words Or Less

Catch Your Breath is an upstart hardcore group from the greater Los Angeles area. I couldn't find much background info on the band, so I'm assuming this is their first venture as a group. Life & Sounds is eight songs in twelve minutes. Musically the band plays fast-paced hardcore with a dash of the rock and roll similar to The Suicide File. Guitarists Shane Spalione and Niko Doerschel alternate between angular riffings and intricate melodies. The vocals are shouted in a slightly coarse manner, though not in a manner to overshadow the music. For the most part, this is a solid release. The band isn't following the current trends, which I like. Unfortunately a lot of the songs are really really short and could be developed a bit more into … Read more

More album reviews

200 Words Or Less

Ocrilim

ANNWN
Hydra Head (2008)

Metal is constantly making relatives with classical and orchestra. Sometimes though, you have to remember why they are separate. Mick Barr is a very gifted individual; Wikipedia calls him "an American avant-garde metal guitarist." Though I would say his ability to shred with a relentless speed make him more than just that. He is more notably the second half of … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Ability

Expired
Fineprint (2008)

Ability is a five-piece hardcore band from the Northern outskirts of Los Angeles. Expired is their debut effort and the 7" features five cuts of solid mid-tempo hardcore. Musically the band mixes together the guitar tones of Bad Brains with the thick rhythm sounds of Burn. "Work of Ages" is a good example of what the band has to offering. … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Police & Thieves

Amor Y Guerra
Youngblood (2008)

It must have been two or three years ago now that I received Police & Thieves demo in the mail. I think it came with record I ordered from Youngblood actually; I can't remember. Anyway, that demo was pretty darn good; I was actually more impressed with it than the members' previous outings - Worn Thin, among others. Well the … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Coptic Times

Temptation
Youngblood (2008)

Coptic Times is the latest output from the Texas hardcore scene, but after repeated listens to Temptation that might be one of the last places you'd think they were from. Featuring members of Iron Age and Drop Out, Coptic Times doesn't really fit in with their Texan peers. Rather, the sounds of these fives tracks would be better suited to … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Pitfall

Another Day at the Zoo
Neutral Territory (2008)

Massachusetts is always churning out quality hardcore and Pitfall is no exception. Another Day at the Zoo is the band's first official release following a promising demo. The band delivers punishing and relentless hardcore that draws similarities to Outbreak and Think I Care. The band sums things up best on the track "Edge of the World" with the lines, "These … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Counting the Days / Hollywood

Split
State of Mind (2008)

Counting the Days is back with two new tracks following an LP release in 2006. These songs are very much in line with their previous ventures. They mix melodic hardcore of Champion and Reach the Sky with the faster style of American Nightmare. "Tonight" is the better of the two tracks. The songs should provide a holdover until the band's … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Braindead / Blackbirds

Split
Burn Bridges (2007)

The split effort from Burn Bridges teams up two underrated bands that definitely deserve more attention. Pennsylvania's Braindead and Michigan's Blackbirds each deliver original songs as well as covering classic The Stooges songs. Braindead offers up three originals of melodic hardcore that draw influence from the likes of Turning Point and Kid Dynamite. In between the two "songs" is an … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Pressure

Beasts
Burn Bridges/High Fidelity (2006)

So we normally stick to reviewing albums that have been released within the last six months, but sometimes we make exceptions. I don't know why we didn't cover Pressure's Beasts already, but we haven't. So I apologize. This LA outfit pretty much destroys all on this six-song 7". Over the course of the record the band unleashes an off kilter … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Triac

Blue Room
Forcefield/Reptilian (2008)

Grindcore is a genre that you either fanatical about, or you just don't seem to care. I can't say that I'm all that jazzed about the genre. I don't really find grindcore bands to be that entertaining, for the most part. Triac hail from Baltimore, Maryland and they have somehow found a way to keep me interested! These guys mix … Read more

Multiple Authors

Playing Enemy

My Life as the Villain
Hex (2008)

To say I was dismayed at the inevitable collapse of Playing Enemy is to understate it. I felt a pretty genuine sense of loss knowing that they would never come back through Arizona (and I would never be the only person at their show again) or that I would never get another plaintive song - but wait! I did! And, … Read more

Multiple Authors

Playing Enemy

My Life as the Villain
Hex (2008)

When Playing Enemy announced their recent demise not long after James Brown shuffled forth this mortal coil, the announcement fell on mostly deaf ears to the majority of underground/ independent music, which is almost as unfortunate (maybe more so) than the band actually calling it a day. Besides the continuation of an impressive lineage of like minded, noise mongering bands … Read more

The Old Haunts

Poisonous Times
Kill Rock Stars (2008)

What is it with bands changing drummers so often? I know it's not uncommon to change a member in a group but it seems like the drummers are slightly over-represented in these statistics. Research into this band from Olympia, Washington shows that for each one of their releases they have introduced a new drummer to the fold. For Poisonous Times … Read more

Century

Black Ocean
Prosthetic (2008)

Thanks to the ever increasing popularity of whack bands like Bullet for My Valentine, Trivium, etc. among the metallically-naïve listeners out there, it seems that metalcore has taken the place of nu-metal as the classification that bands most want to avoid - although deathcore is aggressively seeking the title, as well. Century is one band that can carry the metalcore … Read more

A Caesar Holiday

A Caesar Holiday
Independent (2008)

The five-piece A Caesar Holiday offer up six tracks totaling forty-five minutes on their self-titled debut release. Featuring the combined instrumentation of violin, dual guitars, bass, drums, and accordion the Indianapolis group offer moody and mostly instrumental music falling somewhere between prog and post-rock. The album is at its strongest in the tracks featuring the violin work of Eison, most … Read more

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