Growing up on a steady diet of Sabbath, the darker aspects of music always held so much appeal to me. Yeah, I liked punk rock, still do, but I was looking for something heavier, darker, and as cheesy as it sounds, more evil. I am not talking about Slayer's fake evil. I am talking about visceral scare the shit out of you in the dark evil. Well, I forget what year it was (I am getting up there in years so forgive me), but there it was, Integrity's Those Who Fear Tomorrow. It was in the punk rock section and had this old, creepy looking artwork. (This was before everyone in the mid-90's hardcore scene used Francis Bacon paintings for album covers.) The local punk rock god gave me this disgusted look when I took the record to the counter. I immediately knew this would be good. When I got home, I popped this on the stereo and an intense obsession began. Those Who Fear Tomorrow was more than a revelation. It changed my rather limited musical world at that point. It was intense. It was crazy sounding. It was fucked and I loved it. Over the years this album … Read more
This is a biased review. Fuck you, you don't know me. I refuse to review this on the same bell … Read more
I know very little of Vancouver, British Columbia other than the fact that the bulk of X-Files was filmed there … Read more
Ghost Buffalo is an alt-country-ish band from Colorado. They lean more to the "alt" side of that genre as they … Read more
Recorded between shows on The Mars Volta's recent European tour, Omar Rodriguez' second solo outing is a different beast from … Read more
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Swiss post-rockers Kovlo have quietly released two albums over their career, beginning with their debut A new position for the second degree burn in 2005 and followed up with I’m so happy on this boat in 2007. For a band that has (rather unfortunately) seen as little notice on the world stage as they have, they’ve actually done a very good job releasing somewhat solid material, even if it has been sparsely spread.The thing with Kovlo on their newest album, Hey Mom, where’s Timbuktu?, is that they really aren’t breaking any new ground—they still sound basically like a blend of the better parts of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky, and they haven’t changed much at all as a band. They’re still playing instrumental post-rock done capably well, and not … Read more
You might not have heard of Michael Lenzi, aka Resplendent, but if you have, you're probably wondering how a guy like this can go so unnoticed. He's that favorite actor or actress you fall in love with at first sight, but in this case, first listen. If you've missed out on the last three records, be here for what might … Read more
A few years back, I used to be friends with this kid Lee. He played drums in a few local metal bands and he loved blastbeats. He predominantly listened to a grind and death metal bands. I haven't seen him in quite some time, but if I did happen to run into him, I'd suggest that he buy this split … Read more
Tantric music has its charms, but more often than not, it's boring as shit. What's tantric music you ask? Well I'll tell you, you nosey bastards. We all know what tantric sex is and the music works on the same principle. It starts out soft and mellow, keeps building and building, gets harder and harder, but never busts a nut. … Read more
I don't think there's anyone on Scene Point Blank's staff that remembers Mid Carson July besides me and maybe Bob, but I'm grasping at straws there. Mid Carson July was mid-tempo emo band from Pennsylvania that went on to be a mid-tempo melodic punk band from Florida. I owned a couple of CD's from Mid Carson July but never thought … Read more
If you are into doom, stoner, or sludge metal and you don't know who Cathedral is, you fail at life. For the sonically impaired, Cathedral are one of the progenitors of the modern doom and stoner metal movement. They have released some of the most enjoyable records of these genres in their lengthy existence. Their first album, Forest of Equilibrium … Read more
Punk rock has always been centered on the voicing of ones opinion, with the vast majority of those opinions taking direct aim at politics. In the 70's and 80's, leaders like Jello Biafra and Joey Shithead got so involved in political happenings that they found their way into jails and courthouses on frequent occasions. These encounters only added further fuel … Read more
Seattle artist Rocky Votolato has been a busy man of late. His debut record for Barsuk, Makers, has already seen an episode of cult teen series The O.C. use the opening track, "White Daisy Passing", on its soundtrack. Such lofty heights for the Texan-born singer were hard to imagine back in his Second Nature Records days. Makers is a record … Read more
Ok, so it's no secret that I really like A Wilhelm Scream. Like, a lot. I gave their most recent full-length, Ruiner, an 8.5 out of a possible 10. The full-length has yet to leave regular rotation in my listening habits, and the thing's been out since August! There had been talks from Jumpstart Records for a long time that … Read more
The Northwest is breathing new life into its hardcore scene. They've got a lot of great bands right now - Go it Alone, Shook Ones, The Answer, Sinking Ships, Betrayed, Daggermouth, and so on. And while those bands lean towards the traditional side of hardcore, there are others that aim for something a bit more metal. Seattle's Lahar deliver just … Read more
Whether a record is really good or really bad, it can be very inspiring to write about. You can either go on about how "amazing" it is or stoop on how much it "sucks." But in between, there isn't much inspiration and writing about one of these types of records can be boring in itself. Such is the case with … Read more
Rising from the wreckage of a failed record label and the departure of their drummer, The Appleseed Cast makes their return with Peregrine. This record marks their first with Casket Lottery drummer, Nathan "Nate Jr." Richardson. This band has many expectations to live up to on this record, especially considering the mixed reactions that their last album, Two Conversations, received. … Read more
Despite the obviously hippie-drawn, almost Narnian cover art, and a band name perhaps more likely to evoke visions of reggae or, even worse, Christian rock, Lion of Judah sound much more interested in the likes of Bad Brains and Fugazi than Bob Marley or Creed. Putting the DC back in hardcore - rightfully making it "harDCore" once again - Lion … Read more
Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey is a two-disc set of everything Lifetime released besides Hello Bastards and Jerseys Best Dancers. It's awesome to have the song "Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey" on a CD. The re-mastered versions of the Seveninchesare a great listen, especially for newer fans that wanted to hear exactly when Lifetime perfected the precise mixture … Read more
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