When Michael Gira disbanded Swans in 1997, he declared himself free of the connotations that came with being in that group who were considered the loudest band and invoked the ire of noise ordinances everywhere. Angels of Light is Gira's project of the last ten years that is the polar opposite to the expectations that were heaped upon him while he was involved in Swans; but, Angels of Light are also similar in that their "quiet" compositions are equally as suffocating and claustrophobic as the seminal act. We are Him is the seventh album by Michael Gira and his revolving door cast of supporting musicians that comprise Angels of Light, and marks yet another shift in the group's overall sound (albeit subtle). The album's opening track is the tremendous "Black River Song"; the ragged rhythm and percussion arrangement is so driving and powerful while the other instrumentation feeds off of the energy of the beat, and the vocals only enhance the effect of the song with the male female juxtaposition. Gira's haunting vocal performance is striking on "Promise of Water", and the background vocals only add to that feel; but the combination of the entire vocal arrangement with the lilting … Read more
This is the only album I've ever heard that sounds like it should have been wrapped in a shroud. Relentlessly … Read more
I don't want to pigeonhole this record; Kris Racer lacks the pink hair and Hawaiian shirts of a Chris Conley … Read more
First to Leave have been the unfortunate victims of poor timing, not once, but twice. The first time occurred shortly … Read more
It's crazy how many bands have reunited lately. If you'd asked me a few years ago what I'd be listening … Read more
Choose a year to view reviews of albums released in that year.
748 reviews
42 reviews
25 reviews
300 reviews
4854 reviews
19 reviews
I’ve sat on this review for a while, waiting for that easy-to-describe-it moment to hit me. With Signals Midwest, I don’t know if that’s going to happen. The Cleveland band uses their Midwestern sensibility in their sound—it’s gritty, honest, and non-showy—but it’s also too distinct to tie to a geographic area. The band uses a punk influence throughout while playing slowed down and drawn out songs that waver in varied directions without losing sight of that everyman feel. Think about The Riot Before and The Gaslight Anthem getting intimate. Not for any reason. I just wanted to put that image in everyone’s head.To sum up the 12 songs on Light on the Lake, there is a plodding and carefully crafted feel behind the work, much akin to the defunct The … Read more
It scares me to think that some people reading this were still in grade school when Coalesce put out their last album 0:12 Revolution in Just Listening; the idea that a band that I found so aggressively destructive almost a decade ago can release something new and have those new songs be equally challenging and passionate is just as frightening … Read more
In their twelve or so years as a band, Foo Fighters have had a more than respectable career. This is equally impressive as it would seem that no one ever thought it would last, including frontman/founder Dave Grohl. As the sole member at the time, Grohl recorded all the instruments and vocals for the 1995 eponymous debut album, adding a … Read more
With the imminent release of Control the bio-pic of frontman Ian Curtis, the death of Tony Wilson, and former members Hooky and Barney making the news by squabbling over the name New Order, there again seems to be a large rise of interest in one of the most pioneering bands this world has ever seen - Joy Division. Being ones … Read more
Unholy first appeared on the hardcore radar in late 2004 when demo recordings from the band surfaced on the Internet. While many may have gotten caught up in the members' previous bands - Another Victim, Santa Sangre, Godbelow, The Promise, and just about every other Syracuse hardcore band from the past ten years - others let the music do the … Read more
Alright, let's look at the stats: Name: Death Breath. A truly ridiculous name for a band of any genre Albums: Stinking Up the Night, Let it Stink. Are you kidding? Album Covers: Pictures of zombies, paintings of zombies. The new EP featuring a parody of The Beatles' Let it Be cover. With zombies. For real? Is Weird Al Yankovic in … Read more
With the release of their first 7", New Jersey's Hellhole demonstrates just what it means to be pissed off and brooding in America today. Channeling the spirit of fellow Jersey natives, Tear It Up, the band shreds through a few tracks of speedy, cathartic hardcore only to knock you flat on your ass with a couple of slower numbers that … Read more
Last year I declared this release from Living Hell as one of the top demos that got upgraded to an actual release. After seeing a release via Rock Vegas Records on CD and A389 Records on vinyl format last year, the album has been re-released as a 7" again, this time by the good people at Lockin' Out. If you're … Read more
The Cancer Kids call Massachusetts home. But unlike many of the artists from the state, they don't play tough-guy hardcore of Death Before Dishonor or over-the-top melodic hardcore of Have Heart. Instead The Cancer Kids opt for fast-paced hardcore punk with hints of technical flare and grindcore. If you put Infest, The Dillinger Escape Plan's first EP, and Black Flag … Read more
Music from foreign countries is something that I always find interesting, especially when they sing in their native language. La Piovra takes its name from a series on Italian TV about the Mafia - essentially the original version of The Soprano's. The band hails from Italy and play fast-paced hardcore punk. This one-side 12" is made up of six songs. … Read more
Tennessee natives Sadville without a doubt could be the biggest misnomer for a group. These dudes don't play sad bastard emo at all. Instead they play stoner metal with elements of doom and hardcore punk. You can only imagine the relief when I heard the music after looking at their name. Make Ready the Cross is seven tracks long, but … Read more
Brainworms hail from Richmond, VA, a city with a rich hardcore/punk history. So it's not a surprise that the members of Brainworms have made waves with several other bands. Which is Worse combines up the band's original demo and cassette only release Is it Weird? Musically, Brainworms is teetering on the line between hardcore and indie rock, so I guess … Read more
Boston-based hardcore outfit Rampage unleash thirteen tracks of thrash influenced hardcore on Limit of Destruction. Some of the cuts here take on a definite New York hardcore vibe, while others incorporate a more tharshy and early crossover sound of D.R.I. The title-track was definitely my favorite song on this 12", it had a good groove and nice 90's styled breakdown. … Read more
Looking at the cover art to this 7" I was anticipating one of two things: stoner metal or art-metal akin to the Hydra Head roster. What I got was not too far off. Texas natives Four Days to Burn churn out two cuts of stoner metal with flairs of southern rock and metalcore. On side A we're treated to "Lieutenant." … Read more
Rome Plow Records serves up another offering of under the radar music on this split 7". This time around we've got two bands that draw influence from the post-punk scene of the 90's. Kids Explode hail from Germany and offer up one song, "A Romance in Alcohol." The music sounds like a mixture of guitar-driven indie rock like Minus the … Read more
Looking for the SPB logo? You can download it in a range of styles and colours here: