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)

Anatomy Of Habit

Ciphers + Axioms
Relapse (2014)

Put together great musicians from diverse backgrounds and you are bound to get something special. That is what happens with Anatomy of Habit and their debut album. With an impressing line up which includes guitarist Will Lindsay of Indian, drummer John McEntire of Tortoise, percussionist Theo Katsaounis of Joan of Arc, bassist Kenny Rasmussen (previously of Radar Eyes) and of course fronted by Mark Solotroff of Bloodyminded, you can be sure that this is bound to be interesting. The band had already released an EP back in 2012, giving us a first taste of their sound and raising the expectations.It is quite difficult to pinpoint the style of Anatomy of Habit, since each member puts a piece in the musical identity puzzle. In the two songs of Ciphers + Axioms (which run for more than twenty minutes each), the band is able to throw together post-rock, deathrock, noise, post-punk and doom to create their own twisted outlook of reality. What is stunning about this band is how they are capable of retaining fluidity, especially when things take a turn for the more abstract, as they do in the opening track where the mixture of doom metal and post rock in … Read more

Terrence Hunnam

Via Negativa
Utech (2014)

Via Negativa marks the first solo album for Terrence Hunnam, visual artist and member of the incredible Locrian. The connection … Read more

Light Bearer

Silver Tongue
Halo of Flies (2013)

The hyper literate lads of Light Bearer have always kept a level of consistency within their records. whether through the … Read more

Neighborhood Brats

Recovery
Deranged (2014)

Reading Scene Point Blank can pay off. A year or so ago we streamed No Sun No Tan, which was … Read more

Svarta Stugan

Aspects of Our Future Selves
Independent (2014)

With their 2014 album Aspects of Our Future Selves, Swedish three piece Svarta Stugan (translated as “Black Cottage”) has come … Read more

Shallow Cuts

Storm Watch
No Idea Records (2014)

Shallow Cuts are a group of friends. Oh, they’re a group of musicians too. Some people call that a band. … Read more

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One from the archives

Arms Aloft

Comfort at Any Cost
Dead Format (2008)

Hailing from Wisconsin, Arms Aloft are quite a surprise with their 7" debut Comfort at Any Cost. This four-song EP follows up a demo recording released last year. The four-piece outfit have concocted an upbeat mixture of punk and rock and roll. Arms Aloft has a definite Hot Water Music sound, but with a bit more of a rock feel at points as well. Stylistically they incorporate a fair amount of melody like Samiam and Jawbreaker did back in the day. I'm a pretty big fan of what I'm hearing on this record. I really love it when I find a new band. Thank you for sending this to me. Pick up a copy of this (they're working on a second pressing already). Read more

More album reviews

Keith Emerson and Greg Lake

Live at Manticore Hall
Manticore Records (2014)

After forming in 1970, the members of progressive rock group Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (i.e. keyboardist extraordinaire Keith Emerson, guitarist/bassist/vocalist Greg Lake, and drummer Carl Palmer, all highly experienced and extremely technically proficient players) crafted some incredibly influential music and perhaps were the only popular music group that performed classical music and classically-influenced pieces as part of their normal repertoire. … Read more

Various Artists

Low Culture-Needles//Pins - split 7"
Dirtnap (2014)

I’ve probably said this before for those 3 people who read all of my reviews, but I feel that the 7” is one of the hardest items to review. Not because they’re short, but because it takes a truly special 7” to jump from an 8 to a 10. It’s a hard format to nail, but it’s fairly easy to … Read more

Serpentine Path

Emanations
Relapse (2014)

When you have members of Unearthly Trance, actually the whole last known line-up of Unearthly Trance, alongside Tim Bagshaw, previously of Ramesses and Electric Wizard, and to top it all off Stephen Flam of fucking Winter participating in the same band, then you find yourself sailing in the seas of nirvana if you are a doom/death fan. This is the … Read more

Serpentine Path

Emanations
Relapse (2014)

For a band such as Serpentine Path it seems nigh impossible to seperate the members past from their current works. Being that the band is comprosed of the whole of Unearthly Trance coupled with members whose former bands include Electric Wizard and Winter. If that doesn't read like doom metal supergroup I have no idea how you would quantify such … Read more

Panopticon

Roads to the North
Bindrune Records (2014)

Panopticon has been around since 2007, releasing great albums, from their self-titled full-length to the 2012 Kentucky. And it was with Kentucky that the band really made many heads turn. Their folk infused black metal was a breath of fresh air for the scene, with A.Lunn making things more interesting, using unconventional tactics. The only worrying part of all this … Read more

Le Butcherettes

Cry Is For The Flies
Ipecac (2014)

When The Mars Volta went on hiatus and sequentially disbanded, I was interested to see what Omar Rodriguez-Lopez was going to get himself involved in. Soon his new band Bosnian Rainbows released their first, self-titled album and that was how I got introduced to Terri Gender Bender, the vocalist of Bosnian Rainbows and the leader of Le Butcherettes. I did … Read more

Quintron and Miss Pussycat

Spellcaster II: Death in Space
Pizza Burglar (2014)

Quintron and Miss Pussycat have never been known as a vocal group, but Spellcaster II: Death in Space takes that to a new level, waiting until the fourth song, “Do the Raid” for the first vocal utterings. That’s not a bad thing, but it is a slow start to the duo’s new record. In fact, it’s not until the third … Read more

Dope Body

Lifer
Drag City (2014)

On a long enough timeline, all genre descriptors start to lose meaning. Spend enough time hopping through the tags on Bandcamp, and you'll discover that "hardcore" and "post-hardcore" are mired down with mostly those bands who are championed as "emo revival" on the internet. Despite whatever evidence there is to the contrary, give it enough thought and it starts to … Read more

Mammoth Grinder

Underworlds
20 Buck Spin (2013)

Mammoth Grinder have made a name for themselves by playing a mix of old school death metal , d-beat and hardcore. While that combination of influences isn't singular to them they have played it with a considerable amount of consistency and rage. This got the attention of more than a few people including 20 Buck Spin. While not their first … Read more

Total Control

Typical System
Iron Lung (2014)

Sometimes you get stuck on a review. Sure, I meant to delve outside my comfort zone a bit in grabbing this record, but I’ve been a little stuck on the details. The plus side, of course, is that means I’ve given it dozens of spins.Typical System is the second release from Melbourne’s Total Control. The band features some recognizable names … Read more

Vegas

Sagevisule
Last Anthem (2014)

The ever elusive Vegas has returned. While the band have released a scant few songs in the years since their full-length those songs have shown them maitaining a sense of quality. After a lengty wait a new EP containing four songs arrives, reflecting what Vegas is and where they may be heading.The whole shebang begins with a dark riff sounding … Read more

Son Of Man

Burn The Witch EP
King Of Monsters (2014)

The possible hermits of Son Of Man have returned after their all too brief burner of a debut the band has reconvened for something even more nasty and dark. With the release of a new EP on a new label they have managed to up the ante overall. While the most basic of core values remain the band have inserted … Read more

Shitty Weekend

Shit Week
Secret Pennies (2014)

This thing is all over the map, from freak-out jazz-punk one minute (“Geneva”) to a track of haunting old man ghost noises laid atop a galloping horse, and then band to spastic punk. I mean that in a good way.Shitty Weekend is made up of members of Transient and The Taxpayers and call Portland home. They’re a six-piece band with … Read more

Yob

Clearing the Path to Ascend
Neurot Recordings (2014)

YOB has been a constant force in the doom metal field. Since their first release, Elaborations of Carbon, they have not ever really disappointed me. Releasing records year after year, they took over the doom/sludge/stoner genre by storm, having excellent moments with Catharsis, The Illusion of Motion and The Unreal Never Lived. Even when they took a break, Mike Scheidt … Read more

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