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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)

Secret Chiefs 3

Book of Horizons
Mimicry (2004)

For many, Secret Chiefs 3 is considered to be "Mr. Bungle minus Mike Patton." While I feel this description does a grave injustice to the band, there are those out there blind to the genius that Secret Chiefs 3 has committed to tape. This is quite unfortunate for them, and coming from the Patton super-fan that I am, this remark should not be taken lightly. It was during the downtime between Mr. Bungle albums that the remaining members sans Patton got together and formed this bizarre and eccentric musical unit that takes roots and influences from a diverse field of genres: surf rock, death metal, world music, electonica, pop, and musical scores. Book of Horizons opens with "The End Times," a carefully orchestrated piece that brings to mind the eerie music score from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, in fact as I listened I pictured the car traveling along the winding road from the film's opening scene. On the next track, we experience a style change. "The 4 (Great Ishraqi Sun)" takes a lot of influence from traditional Middle Eastern music. This style is later revisited on the track "DJ Revisionist," which also features Arabic guitar tones. By this … Read more

Plan of Attack

The Working Dead
Organized Crime (2004)

Upon their inception a few years ago, Plan of Attack was already a cut above a lot of the hardcore … Read more

Ween

Quebec
Sanctuary (2003)

Ween. What the fuck is Ween? I sure don't know. If someone asked me to tell them about Ween, I … Read more

Crime In Stereo

Explosives and the Will to Use Them
Blackout! (2004)

I've gone off on tangents about the current state of hardcore in a bunch of other reviews, so I'll spare … Read more

With Passion

In The Midst Of Bloodied Soil
Earache (2004)

An important point in anybody's musical listening/purchasing career is when they first realize that there are LPs and EPs. The … Read more

Kanye West

The College Dropout
Roc-A-Fella (2004)

Each year there are only a few hip-hop discs I pick up and really enjoy. They have to be more … Read more

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One from the archives

Ophiolatry

Transmutation
Forces of Satan/Regain (2008)

Ophiolatry is another band that, like their labelmates Black Flame, is a true force in the black arts to be reckoned with. Ophiolatry (the worship of serpents) has more of a grind aspect to their sound than their respected brethren. Relentless blastbeats and truly brutal guitar work that have the ability to pummel the listener into a fine powder. The band hails from Brazil, a country known to take its metal seriously and believe me when I say that these guys aren't fucking around. With Transmutation, they've taken their fellow countrymen Sarcofago's mantra of "Fuck Off Melodic Black Metal" to a whole other level. The vocals are more of a death-rattle than can usually be found in black metal, but Ophiolatry challenges the notion that black metal has to have … Read more

More album reviews

Harkonen & These Arms Are Snakes

Like a Virgin
Hydra Head (2004)

When I was in the sixth grade I had a birthday party and for some reason one of my classmates, his name was Seth, gave me a copy of Sir Mix-A-Lot's album Mack Daddy. I didn't ask for it, I guess he just assumed it was something I would enjoy. Anyways, contained on said album is a track entitled "Seattle … Read more

!!!

Louden Up Now
Touch & Go (2004)

This whole intro paragraph is going to serve as a completely unneeded expository explanation on how dance music has all of a sudden become huge with indie kids. Yeah, so dance music. It's become pretty big hasn't it? I guess there are a few kinds: shit like The Rapture, where's these sleazy kids dancing around; terrible stuff like The Faint … Read more

Keane

Hopes and Fears
Interscope (2004)

Well it's the middle of the summer, the sun is out, the birds are singing, and there is romance in the air. What a perfect time for the release of this year's album to fall in love to. In fact, as you are reading this review I can almost guarantee you that Hopes and Fears is aiding another pair of … Read more

Keane

Hopes and Fears
Interscope (2004)

My first listen: Let's get some facts straight. Keane is a three piece band. They don't have any guitars, instead there is a piano. They are also deemed as the "next Coldplay." That's quite a misnomer; Coldplay has a guitar, sometimes two, and rock a lot harder than Keane. And Coldplay doesn't even rock hard. They can't be the next … Read more

Animal Collective

Sung Tongs
Fat Cat (2004)

So here I am. Thinking of everything else I could be doing that does not include listening to the never-ending song by the Animal Collective. Forward. Sorry! I really do like them, they are doing "Something Different" and "Breaking New Ground", even. They're interesting, cryptic... in fact, this is the perfect record to add to your collection to prove just … Read more

John Vanderslice

Cellar Door
Barsuk (2004)

Breaking News: San Francisco's favorite singer-songwriter/space cadet has returned to the home planet for his newest release Cellar Door . As his spacecraft touched down, thousands of loyal fans anxiously lined up outside of record stores to the hear musical renditions of his latest journeys via compact disc. Once the fans had attained their own personal copy of the transmission … Read more

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Greatest Palace Music
Drag City (2004)

I will admit, I read a few reviews of this record before buying it and I still had no idea what it was. Even by the time I picked it up I was clueless as to what this record held in store. Was it other people covering Will Oldham songs? Was it Will Oldham Covering other artist's songs? Was it … Read more

The End

Within Dividia
Relapse (2004)

Whether you call it tech-metal or mathcore, it's a style of music that has captivated the head-bangers of the world. Gone are the days of the traditional and straightforward songwriting of Metallica and Slayer, they have handed over the reigns to the next generation led by the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Mastodon. And following right on the … Read more

Devendra Banhart

Rejoicing in the Hands
Young God (2004)

I work at this really cool toy store in Austin, TX called Terra Toys. No, I'm not trying to get a bunch of customers, this is just exposition. Anyways, Terra Toys is located on South Congress Ave., a street filled to the brim with stores containing all kinds of vintage clothes and furniture. Today, I was walking down to the … Read more

Killing the Dream

Killing the Dream
Rivalry (2004)

Today when homosapiens talk about the old school of hardcore they usually refer somewhere between the time periods of the early 1980s and the late 1980s. But as time goes on the gap begins to get larger and the definition of new school is constantly being reinvented. Look at a band like Youth Of Today for instance, when they emerged … Read more

Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand
Sony (2004)

Recently it seems like every magazine I pick up has something positive to say about Franz Ferdinand; Franz Ferdinand this, Franz Ferdinand that. It's always Franz, Franz, Franz! Yet there are still people who ask, "Who is Franz Ferdinand?" That?s a completely reasonable question, because not everyone reads music magazines. Archduke Francis Ferdinand?s assassination was one of many causes of … Read more

The Blinding Light

The Ascension Attempt
Deathwish Inc. (2004)

Heavy. Right off the bat, that is the word I would use to describe this band, and this record. Fucking heavy. Heavier than a chain-mail sack full of battle axes. The first time I heard The Blinding Light was well over a year ago, and though it didn't exactly inspire me to run out and pick up the band's latest … Read more

Matmos

Rat Relocation Program
Locust (2004)

Usually when bands have "concept albums" I'm sort of hesitant on getting into it. I don't really know what the problem is, but most of the time I see them as being somewhat silly, over-ambitious, or pretentious. I guess you can say they're one of my pet-peeves when it comes to music. While not by basic standards a concept album, … Read more

Silent Drive

Love Is Worth It
Equal Vision (2004)

In my circle of friends, I am the only one who doesn't find anything remotely interesting about Bane. So what does that have to do with this review? A lot actually since two members of Silent Drive are in Bane. That really doesn't impress me, what did grab me is that two members were in Drowningman. I have been awaiting … Read more

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

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