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Aching Waits
La Escalera Records / Def Cow Records (2018)

You know how once you get an idea in your head, you can’t shake it no matter what else comes up? That’s happened to me in reviewing Aching Waits, an EP released at the start of the year by San Francisco’s Reunions.This 4-song 12” EP has nice variation across the board, yet I keep coming back to Hot Water Music, … Read more

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Starcrawler

Starcrawler
Rough Trade (2018)

Starcrawler vocalist Arrow De Wilde is one of the most arresting vocalists I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing in the last 20 years. When watching Starcrawler play live, it’s really a roll of the dice as to whether the front row will be appalled or attacked. Or both. And it’s that kind of unpredictability that makes Starcrawler unique in today’s … Read more

Night Birds

Roll Credits
Fat Wreck Chords (2018)

Roll Credits is an 8-song “mini-album” homage to the classics. Night Birds--the now veteran band of 10 years--says it was made thinking of short-play classics like Negative Approach’s Tied Down and Minor Threat’s Out of Step. Short, fast, loud.It’s a good starting point for their approach, but first, more about the release. In addition to being a 12” EP, Fat … Read more

A Perfect Circle

Eat the Elephant
BMG (2018)

Regardless of which band Maynard James Keenan is recording, promoting or touring with - he is usually the one unfairly maligned for holding up the proceedings, but make no mistake...A Perfect Circle is the brainchild of guitarist Billy Howerdel. And until he was ready to record again (in this case, 14 years after the band’s previous effort, Emotive) - it … Read more

Street Sects

The Kicking Mule
Flenser (2018)

This deviant punk/industrial hybrid sprout onto the scene in 2014 with their EP Gentrification I: The Morning After the Night We Raped Death, introducing their aggressive, noisy and extravagant sound. However, it was their debut record End Position that saw them produce a succinct and complete offering presenting their full vision. Street Sects arrived with an intense and furious perspective, … Read more

Dödsrit

Spirit Crusher
Prosthetic (2018)

2017 saw the release of Dödsrits' self titled debut album. I was impressed by the quality that I discovered on that album. Had I found it earlier it would have made my yearlist, no doubt. It is also an album with staying value. I still come back to it on a regular basis. I could not be happier to hear … Read more

Behemoth

I Loved You at Your Darkest
Nuclear Blast (2018)

The fanfare that surrounded 2014s The Satanist was not an unwarranted reaction and for Behemoth it marked a significant turning point. Hailed as a modern classic almost immediately and allowing the Polish band to reach the upper echelons of the extreme metal scene with huge tours both in Europe and America, headlining festival appearances where they played the record in … Read more

Fórn

Rites of Despair
Gilead Media (2018)

Boston’s Fórn have been making slow, emotional music that rips your heart to pieces since 2012 and in that time the band have progressed into an entity that can make a simple guitar phrase induce introspection on a massive scale. “Manifestations of the Divine Root,” the first track after album intro “涂地,” places gorgeously fluid guitar lines alongside Chris P’s … Read more

Maniac

Dead Dance Club
Dirt Cult (2018)

Across the board Maniac reminds me of several bands. The vocal timbre of lead vocalist Zache Davis recalls Mark Ryan (Marked Men) and so does the rhythm section, though it’s not nearly as hyper. Justin Maurer, who also picks up the mic at times, has a darker tinge to his songs. The tempo is fast, I guess you’d say in … Read more

Four Fists

6666
Doomtree (2018)

Four sixes, four fists, two rappers and some punchy production that’s equally space age and heavy hitting. It’s my own interpretation here, but the group name is more a reference to solidarity and kinship between rappers P.O.S and Astronautalis than it’s a statement of anger or frustration. The group is built on the fluid, and often laid-back raps of Astronautalis … Read more

Editors

Violence
PIAS (2018)

Editors first appeared as part of the British indie music scene in 2003, when there was a swell of guitar bands dominating the charts. They released their Mercury-nominated debut album The Back Room in 2005, which has endured over the years thanks to its anthemic songs and dark lyrics, and since then their albums have traversed genres and attracted an … Read more

Author & Punisher

Beastland
Relapse (2018)

Tristan Shore, the man behind the Author & Punisher project, has been on a warpath since the release of his debut, self-released record The Painted Army. By drawing inspiration from his background as a mechanical engineer Shore has created his own range of instruments for Author & Punisher, his infamous Drone Machines. As a result, these machines have allowed him … Read more

I Against I

Small Waves
White Russian Records (2018)

Last year White Russian Records made me very happy by releasing Travoltas’ comeback album Until We Hit The Shore, which ended up being my favourite record of last year. Next to a couple of interesting up and coming bands White Russian Records is now releasing another comeback album of another Dutch punk legend: I Against I. Legendary in part because … Read more

Nordra

Pylon II
Sige (2018)

Monika Khot has been exploring the realm of experimental music both as one half of the avant noise/prog duo Zen Mother, but also with her solo project Nordra. Just last year, Khot released her self-titled record through SIGE, displaying her adventurous ethic towards electronic music. Now SIGE turns back the clock and presents Nordra's first work in Pylon II, originally … Read more

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