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)

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 D.C. hardcore band is back and their influences are shining as true as ever on this four-song 7". "False Parades" evokes Embrace while "13th and Monroe" furthers the mixtures of that Dischord vibe with the rest of the early 80's hardcore movement. Police & Thieves is definitely a band to keep tabs on; be on the lookout for a new release as they're currently writing. Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

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One from the archives

Beartrap

Fueled by Self-Hate
Double or Nothing (2009)

This release blazes through the listener at a ridiculously fast clip. Eight tracks of fast punk styled thrash madness. The label compares them to Trash Talk and Black Flag; I can't really disagree. I could see some craziness going down to this. They leave the experimentation to the last song which truly sets it apart almost seemingly written for a different release as it is much longer than the other songs and slows to crawl with creepy spoken word parts before fading out. This is a great release. It reminds me of when I first heard the First 4 Year compilation. Check it out and thrash hard. Read more

More album reviews

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

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

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

The T4 Project

Story-Based Concept Album
Mental (2008)

Before this monstrosity hit my mailbox the only concept album that I own was Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade. Even that double album by those St. Paul hardcore pioneers isn't even that good for a concept album as it ends up being all a dream. I thought that trick only worked on 80's prime time sitcoms. I really don't like concept … Read more

Aussitôt Mort

6 Songs
Level Plane (2007)

Aussitôt Mort means "immediately dead" in the French language. Their name, as well as their sound, is marked by powerful intensity. The four musicians who make up the French group - some of whom are also in the French band Amanda Woodward - have released 6 Songs as a way for fans to get their hands on previously released vinyl-only … Read more

Atmosphere

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
Rhymesayers (2008)

While When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold brings Ant and Slug closer to full-blown mainstream success, it's an album that's not really about either of them. Rather, it's about those that possibly buy their albums, those that struggle to make it through the day, no real future in sight given their conditions. While Ant brings to … Read more

Helms Alee

Helms Alee
Rome Plow / Broken Press (2008)

So, the news is trickling out that Helms Alee is the new band by Ben Verellen, (Harkonen, Roy, These Arms Are Snakes), which is great news as he makes some ugly (in an awesome way) music, and they are doing a full-length and EP with Hydra Head (where Harkonen released several records). But before those releases actually see the light … Read more

Unseen Force

In Search of the Truth (Reissue)
Grave Mistake (2008)

Most people that really delve deep into and are passionate about hardcore and punk know Richmond, Virginia for its fruitful output over the past decade or so, but that wasn't always the case. There was obviously a time when, like many other cities, it was a budding scene on the cusp of something huge. Which brings up to this album … Read more

Annuals / Sunfold

Wet Zoo
Canvas Back (2008)

Annuals 2006 release Be He Me was an interesting album. It balanced on the tip of a melting iceberg between a respectable indie release and an unfortunate pop rock attempt. The Wet Zoo EP has solidified the unfortunate and brought to light Annuals' turn for the worse. Once, Annuals' sound was embodied with multiple layers and experimentation with song space. … Read more

Lil Wayne

Tha Carter III
Cash Money (2008)

Over the course of the past two years, virtually no rapper has been more prolific than Lil Wayne. The New Orleans born and bred, former Hot Boy, and face of the Cash Money Millionaires compiled over one thousand verses during this time period through a combination of his own mixtapes as well as guest appearances on other mainstream tracks and … Read more

Stebmo

Stebmo
Southern Lord (2008)

This is the first solo record from Steve Moore; no this is not the same Steve Moore that is half of the soundscape group Zombi, but rather this is the multi instrumentalist that one can hear and see with Earth since their "comeback" album Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method. Stebmo is Steve Moore's first solo album after working … Read more

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