Now or Never features members of Gordon Ivy & The Jaybirds and play fast melodic hardcore that came from Scandinavia in the mid to late 90's. I see your Pridebowl and raise you a Wizo and a Satanic Surfers. Now or Never are completely nuts with the breakneck songs and completely inane lyrics. "Fuck this Asshole" includes this lyrical masterpiece; "I need someone as tissue, wiping ass perfectly." Wait, what? This CD is beyond goofy, bordering on the annoying. However, if you still own huge red NOFX shorts and got really mad when your mom brought you home that Variflex board from Wal-Mart then you might want to search this out. Seriously though, "wiping ass perfectly"? Good gravy, what does that even mean? Read more
I have never been a big fan of bands from the Island Nation of Japan. They were always so over … Read more
Men in their late-thirties making vague statements about the future's uncertainty under the guise of it being punk rock, there's … Read more
Okay, so the more that I thought about this, the more ridiculous this concept feels to me, books on tape … Read more
Russian Circles' Enter was practically a life-changing album for me. Never had I heard a heavy instrumental band with such … Read more
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Hailing from Long Island, NY, State Lines come from a long list of notable punk bands who call the area home. They have been quick in establishing themselves as a talented, young band with strong potential. Last year’s Hoffman Manor was a clinic in catchiness with a raw, familiar sound that garnered comparisons to Tigers Jaw and Brand New, but was a common description that didn’t detract from obvious songwriting chops and a tendency to get stuck in your head for hours at a time. After being signed to Tiny Engines earlier in the year, it was with much anticipation that the band geared up to release new material.Their new EP, a four song, self-titled 7”, does not disappoint in the least in an immediate display of gritty self-confidence that … Read more
Robin Staps, The Ocean's high-striving frontman must be one hell of an easy person to work with. It's either that, or he is a dictator of epic proportions and has an ego the size of Mount Kilimanjaro. When our favorite music magazines are riddled with tales of inter band friction, even when talking about three douchebags who recently took the … Read more
At The Fest last fall I saw a lot of bands, most of which I had a previous idea of what they were about beforehand. One band I didn’t know, but lucked out to see because they were slotted before Bloodbath & Beyond and Tiltwheel, was Tampa's The Tim Version. Decline of the Southern Gentleman in the group's newest release … Read more
Screw you with your Crime in Stereos, your Capitals, your Agents, and your Thieves and Assassins. Seriously, take a long jump off a short pier into Long Island Sound. Every week there seems to be a new band coming from that damn island that of yours that just feels the need to completely floor me. Is it something in the … Read more
So Pyramids is one of a slew of new bands making their debuts with Hydra Head recently. However, this outfit seems to have either a much lower profile than the label's most recent output or Pyramids completely flew under everyone's radar, and thus allows this self-titled album to be quite the surprise. After hearing their samples available in certain notorious … Read more
New Jersey The Gaslight Anthem's Sink of Swim was one of the most over-looked album last year on Scene Point Blank. So to make up for our obvious dumbassery I'll review their latest EP from the label that never fails, Sabot Productions. Every time I listen to The Gaslight Anthem I always feel as though they are just a vehicle … Read more
There is no doubt in the sincerity of Toby Morse's declaration that H2O have nothing to prove. And while their canon of endlessly catchy and inspiring melodic hardcore songs speaks for itself, their return has generated intense speculation about whether we're getting an album of melodic New York hardcore or poppier leaning tunes a la Go. While I've never fully … Read more
Hailing from Vermont, Carrigan plays ambient post-rock, but more structured and upbeat than you would think. Although the group is a duo now, they had a couple transient members formerly from Drowningman and The Cancer Conspiracy during 2003. The Drowningman connection intrigued me; an old heavy gem that I hadn't heard anyone mention in way too long. The duo did … Read more
Heavy, stomp worthy, pissed off mid-tempo to fast in your face hardcore. If you like anything from Agnostic Front, Buried Alive, to the almighty Integrity then there's no reason why this five-song 7" shouldn't be in your collection. You also get some horrible sung parts that would make George from Blacklisted blush, but it all adds into the evil fun … Read more
My favorite revival band of the revival youth-crew bands is back with another four-song platter so I can mosh around my apartment, pointer fingers extended and with couch dives in full effect. If you have any love for fast, fun, old-school hardcore then you probably own this and your sofa has already paid the price. Seriously, go cut off some … Read more
Carry the Torch are yet another over-emotional hardcore band that play fast, somewhat tuneful, a little bit metal, and quite moshable hardcore. The one-sheet says they would appease the fans of Strongarm, Cave In, and Taken when in actuality they only had to mention Shai Hulud since Carry the Torch tries to do their best of impression of A Profound … Read more
Down and Outs have been shaking things up for going on four years now. Unfortunately, I really didn't start paying attention to the band until last year when they offered up a split 7" with Death is No Glamorous. Despite my ignorance, Down and Outs have amassed a small discography through a variety of releases - both in CD and … Read more
A few years ago I went to one of those parties that a lot of us have attended. There was plenty of PBR flowing and occupants had their fair share of scarves on. Yes, it was a hipster party and I was miserable. The girls there were all too young for me to bother hitting on and all the guys … Read more
Generic Insight Radio is a weekly Internet radio show that airs on Wednesday nights from 10:00 PM until midnight EST. I personally have never listened to the show because I'm usually in bed by 9:00 PM CST. Not to mention my computer has a hard time playing the pinball game that comes with Word. I can only imagine what streaming … Read more
Ah, Born/Dead is one of the more notable crust/hardcore bands in the vein of groups like Tragedy (kind of but I would not say this is a good comparison as Born/Dead is a beast all to themselves. They also adhere to a heavy political message in their songs. Touring is also a huge part of this band as they play … Read more
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