Constantines
Kensington Heights
Arts & Crafts (2008)
Kensington Heights is the fourth album from Ontario's Constantines and their first since 2005. The group, best known for a powerful live show, has yet to capture their stage presence on a piece of wax. However, the record takes strides and shows flashes of that magic energy that sets the group apart from many other indie rockers. The band uses … Read more
Constantines
Shine A Light
Sub Pop (2003)
I'm from California. I live near the ocean. I like driving. I like watching baseball. I'm the outside world's perception of a fairly typical American guy (except for my slightly unhealthy obsession with noise-rock, but this is neither the time nor the place to get into that). And like most Americans, Canada isn't really something with which I find myself … Read more
Constants
The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension
The Mylene Sheath (2009)
Boston-based shoe-gazing space-rockers Constants return with their second full-length and follow-up to 2006's The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril EP. With The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension Constants continues to make waves in the rock world as they showcase their talent towards writing intricate, dynamic, and ominous rock music. The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension is ultimately broken up into three … Read more
Constants
The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril
Radar (2006)
I'm a sucker for sprawling, epic rock music. Mogwai, Isis, M83, etc... You name it, I'm in. There's just something about music that slowly draws you in and hypnotizes you that really fuels my engine. About six months ago, my band was scheduled to play a show at this awful venue that pretty much everyone avoids. Of course, we ended … Read more
Consular
Don't Cross the Swine
Makeshift Origami/Abort the World (2006)
South Florida is usually known for being the breeding ground for such bands as A New Found Glory and Dashboard Confessional. What many don't recognize is that the area also has a seedy underbelly of sludge, metal and generally heavy music. I guess living a couple miles from swamps and Jeb Bush can do that for you. For the past … Read more
Container
Adhesive
Liberation Technologies (2014)
Combining throbbing electronic music with scratchy and crackly noise elements, Providence, Rhode Island’s Container has been getting more and more notice in recent years. Perhaps one reason for this is the fact that musician/producer Ren Schofield (who essentially is Container) has continued to improve, pumping out almost industrial-oriented tracks using conventional techno beats even as many electronic artists have been … Read more
Continents
Idle Hands
Victory (2013)
Continents from South Wales, UK are a Moshcore band that formed in 2010. Their self released video for “Trials” was released in 2011 and propelled them to the top of the UK hardcore scene sharing the stage with such bands as Emmure and Comeback kid. “Idle Hands” is their debut album on Victory Records.This album starts out like all too … Read more
Converge
All We Love We Leave Behind
Epitaph\Deathwish Inc (2012)
This is not a review but more a lament, and I am not sure exactly who or what this lament is meant because there is a definite sense of utter confusion while listening to the latest album, All We Love We Leave Behind, from the almighty Converge on my part; let us get this out of the way since I … Read more
Converge
Axe to Fall
Epitaph (2009)
As they approach twenty years as a band, taking a look back at what Converge has accomplished throughout their career span would be a fairly daunting task. In an effort to spare both you and I a lot of time, let's just leave it at this: Converge is one of the most important hardcore bands of their time, and should … Read more
Converge
Beautiful Ruin
Epitaph\Deathwish Inc (2018)
Converge—Nietzsche’s pissed off nephew, Rilke’s furious friend—achieves a glimmering consummation in a mishmash of fourness (which, in numerology, symbolizes spiritual wholeness). They went from thrash titans to sonic gods; now they flirt with the nasty nebula they came from, dumping what we might consider B-sides, smacking a healthy appetite, and a bitter jaded cheek, awake. Seemingly, they can do no … Read more
Converge
No Heroes
Epitaph (2006)
In its recent history, Converge is responsible for two of the most unique and cathartic albums in the history of extreme music, Jane Doe and You Fail Me. Of course, you can't deny Converge's long, rich heritage going back to the early '90s. Unlike very few bands in their genre, Converge have not only survived, but thrived and strengthened. Jane … Read more
Converge
No Heroes
Epitaph (2006)
After rock and roll's pop ascension in the postwar era, the recording industry adopted the practice of "front-loading" albums, situating the strongest songs at the beginning. This serves several purposes: it sells the album to skeptical listeners (such as radio programmers, distributors and consumers), and it enables bands who don't have enough material to compete in the LP realm to … Read more
Converge
The Dusk In Us
Epitaph\Deathwish Inc (2017)
Out of all the bands painted with the seemingly ubiquitous metalcore tag, Converge seem both the most likely to accept the term graciously and rip your throat out for the mere suggestion. But really, they are a true amalgam of both - the sound is the heavy and the vocals and attitude are the core.The Dusk In Us is the … Read more
Converge
You Fail Me
Epitaph (2004)
Dear Converge, After giving You Fail Me a listen, the only thing I can even begin to contemplate is: "What the fuck happened here?" I'm truly sorry to say that aside from calculating the distance from where I'm sitting to the Cosi two blocks away (I have a coupon for a free sandwich), this is the only thought that's running … Read more
Converge
You Fail Me
Epitaph (2004)
"Is You Fail Me better than Jane Doe?" Don't lie, that's what you're wondering and hoping this review will answer. So I'll do you a favor and answer your question from the get go: 25% yes and 75% no. You Fail Me brings forth twelve great tracks that work on their own but doesn't have the same cohesiveness of Jane … Read more
Convul
سأكون رؤيتكم (I'll Be Seeing You)
Glory Kid (2012)
The band formerly known as Convulsions decided to set their sights pretty high apparently before writing their most recent record. Beyond shortening their name and deciding to use Arabic for their album title They may have looked towards their own outer limits. The band seemed to resind their previous influences and gestures for a more thought out but certainly different … Read more
Conway the Machine & The Alchemist
LULU
ALC Records / Griselda Records (2020)
A few short months ago, I was sitting in a dark bar with some friends on a late Friday afternoon, and we started chatting up another group of equally-inebriated compatriots. We went through the standard cycle of introductory conversation topics and one guy mentioned that he was from Buffalo. I asked if he listened to Griselda, the exponentially-rising rap trio … Read more
Coptic Times
Temptation
Youngblood (2008)
Coptic Times is the latest output from the Texas hardcore scene, but after repeated listens to Temptation that might be one of the last places you'd think they were from. Featuring members of Iron Age and Drop Out, Coptic Times doesn't really fit in with their Texan peers. Rather, the sounds of these fives tracks would be better suited to … Read more
