Recent reviews

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)

Damnation A.D.

In This Life or the Next
Victory (2007)

Seeing Damnation A.D. for the first time in years at New Year's reunion in Syracuse a couple of years back awoke something in me that I had not realized had been sleeping. Watching this five piece shake the building with their tortured, bottom heavy power was and is a great experience. If you doubt this, go see them and watch what happens when they play "No More Dreams." Hearing In This Life or the Next warms my heart and not just because of nostalgia (although that is there as well) but also because of the mass of sound that Damnation A.D. tosses at the listener. When listening to "Knot," I can only open my mouth with a mouthed "Wow!" It is so damn heavy sounding with the pounding of the drums and the severely down tuned guitar tones. Mike McTernan's vocals fit the song perfectly. There is a definite sense of urgency that can be heard in his voice. The sample of the little kid's voice whispering the words, "Are we still alive?" at the beginning of "Don't Feel a Thing" is super creepy (and awesome at the same time). With a vocal assist by Wes Eisold of Some Girls … Read more

Smashing Pumpkins

Zeitgeist
Reprise (2007)

Zeit·geist n. German. The spirit of the time; the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation. The Smashing … Read more

Smashing Pumpkins

Zeitgeist
Reprise (2007)

In all likelihood you're fully aware of the Smashing Pumpkins history and 90's legacy; if you somehow don't, I recommend … Read more

Smashing Pumpkins

Zeitgeist
Reprise (2007)

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness changed the way I listened to music. Siamese Dream continues to do so. Machina … Read more

Nonhorse

Haraam, Circle of Flame
Release the Bats (2006)

Someone beats on sheet metal. A phone rings? White noise and feedback. Sounds from a long lost sci-fi B movie … Read more

Odious Mortem

Cryptic Implosion
Willowtip (2007)

Odious Mortem's website describes their sound as employing "technical, dark, and experimental aspects of the death metal genre." When I … Read more

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One from the archives

Angels and Airwaves

We Don't Need to Whisper
Geffen (2006)

So Tom DeLonge finally got his way. Apparently sick of the scatological humor of Blink 182 and ill-received attempts at maturity, the band broke up and he was free to record the album that would be "the greatest album of [his] career." Hyperbole aside, this record is, according to DeLonge, "more than an album, and more than just a cool punk-rock tune". While "Fuck a Dog" was indeed a cool punk-rock tune, it's encouraging to see the development of DeLonge's musicianship alongside the work of his former bandmates Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus in Plus 44. The album kicks off with "Valkyrie Missile", a slow-to-start 6 minute introduction to the record that never really ends throughout the 50 or so minutes We Don't Need to Whisper occupies. Incorporating strings, delayed … Read more

More album reviews

Internal Affairs

Deadly Visions
Malfunction (2007)

Internal Affairs is a band that embodies what hardcore should truly be about. The music is fast, energetic, and pissed off. The lyrics are honest to the point of being blunt - hardcore used to be about speaking your mind, somewhere along the way most bands forgot this. And finally, the band puts on one heck of a performance, inviting … Read more

The Aggrolites

Reggae Hit L.A.
Hellcat (2007)

Since about the year 2000, Tim Armstrong, Lars Frederickson and pretty much that has anything to do with Rancid has pretty much been a horrible venture, looking your way The Viking, Transplants and the last Rancid album. Prior to listening to this album the only conation I had about The Aggrolites was that they were Tim Armstrong's backing band for … Read more

Wrecking Crew

Balance of Terror (Reissue)
I Scream (2006)

Over the past decade or so "toughguy" hardcore has gotten more obnoxious by the second, but one of the bands that spawned this shitstorm, Madball, always had at least one thing going for them. This special ingredient was the combination of the pure catchiness of their riffs and their surprisingly tight sense of rhythm. Even though I am enough of … Read more

Tomahawk

Anonymous
Ipecac (2007)

When Hank III goes on tour, he leaves no stone unturned, playing anywhere that would have him: cities, towns, hamlets, burgs and more than a few Native American reservations. This had quite an impact on Hank's then touring guitarist, ex of the Jesus Lizard and future Tomahawk co-founder Duane Denison. The music he would hear while on the reservations left … Read more

The Distortions

Machines at Night
Blank (2007)

You know what I liked when I was in high school? Actually, you can probably guess this one. I liked The Smashing Pumpkins. You probably did too. I know for damn sure the Distortions did. Their Myspace page lists them as indie/shoegaze/post-punk, but I'm not seeing it. I guess it's possible I don't know what those terms mean, but if … Read more

Rocky Votolato

A Brief History (Reissue)
Second Nature (2007)

It is real nice that Rocky Votolato's A Brief History is available again. With the original label - Your Best Guess Records - going the way of the Dodo, this underappreciated gem went out of print. Second Nature, thankfully, has the foresight to make this available for people again, and just in time for the release of Votolato's forthcoming new … Read more

Rocky Votolato

A Brief History (Reissue)
Second Nature (2007)

A Brief History is Rocky Votolato's second full-length, originally released in 2000 after his hard-to-find self-titled debut in 1999. At twenty minutes long, it's really more of an extended EP, but then, the 'brief' in the title should be taken quite literally. Newcomers to Votolato's alt-country/Americana sound might be surprised to backtrack through his releases and come across this, helpfully … Read more

Fake Problems

How Far Our Bodies Go
Sabot (2007)

The comparisons are going to be made so let's just get them out of the way right now. As Against Me! becomes the new Hot Water Music, Fake Problems might just become the new Against Me!. Maybe. Yes, Fake Problems hails from Florida, a few hours north of the aforementioned bands and yes, they take a no frills approach to … Read more

Ryan Adams

Easy Tiger
Lost Highway (2007)

The artist of the album I reviewed made it difficult to include his name in the opening sentence without thinking people would disregard the entire article, because this is his ninth studio album following three releases just two years ago in 2005. Yup, Ryan Adams released yet another album entitled Easy Tiger. It hardly feels like it's been two years … Read more

Irepress

Samus Octology
Translation Loss (2007)

Instrumental music that doesn't bore one to death is hard to come by, especially in a world like today. There are handfuls of bands attempting the instrumental sound and failing miserably. There are others of course that do succeed in such risky endeavors. Luckily for Irepress they are one of them. Instrumental bands have a tendency to bore an audience … Read more

Misericordiam

Unanimity and the Cessation of Hostility
Twelve Gauge (2007)

Unanimity and the Cessation of Hostility is six tracks of blistering death metal that lasts a mere fourteen minutes. And while this EP is extremely short, any longer and the band would have be charged for assault and battery. Las Vegas quintet Misericordiam unleashes a full-on attack of technically amazing riffs and drumming teamed with some of the deepest growls … Read more

Crowd Deterrent / Creepout

Split
Hard Ass (2007)

Two of the world's most underrated hardcore bands team up for fourteen tracks of no-frills and no-fuss hardcore. First up is Crowd Deterrent from Youngstown, Ohio. The band has been going strong for ten years now and during their tenure the band has relentlessly delivered straight-up hardcore that draws from the heyday of the New York scene - early Madball, … Read more

The Homefront

Sacrifice
Detonate (2007)

Massachusetts-based hardcore outfit The Homefront has quite a pedigree of previous bands: Have Heart, Guns Up!, and Verse. And if you've enjoyed the output of any those bands, you'll be greatly pleased with The Homefront's debut offering, Sacrifice. The Homefront play highly energetic and powerful hardcore with a melodic twist - not unlike With Honor or Modern Life is War. … Read more

Limbeck

Limbeck
Doghouse (2007)

The fact that Limbeck call Orange County, CA home is a bit of a head-scratcher. Based on their home, you'd be more likely to expect a hardcore or punk band as opposed to an alt-country outfit. On their fourth full-length effort (third for Doghouse) the band continues to deliver a fun and upbeat mix of pop, country, and Americana. And … Read more

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