Children of Bodom
Hate Crew Deathroll
Century Media (2003)
When I first heard I was going to be reviewing this album, I automatically assumed I would hate it. My metal tastes hardly expand past a few Iron Maiden and Judas Priest records. While the lyrics and vocals are a little hard to get into for me, they aren't hard to get past. The guitar work involved some amazing metal … Read more
Children of Bodom
Hate Crew Deathroll
Century Media (2003)
So metal it has its own element on the periodic table! You can quote me on that B') I'm not familiar with metal enough to differentiate death metal, black metal, and cash money metal from each other, but I can tell this is good metal. Already I've used the word metal seven times in this review, and that probably means … Read more
Chiller
Chiller
Dirt Cult (2018)
I’ll admit to coming into this one with a clean slate. I don’t know Feral Trash, who predate Chiller and share members Ilisha and Eric. The duo recruited Erin (Black Tower) and Tim (Mother’s Children) and, as the press release says, so began “what has rightly been deemed as a continuation of Feral Trash.”So that’s the history lesson. Because I … Read more
Chimes Of Bayonets
Replicator
Peterwalkee Records (2024)
New York based three piece, Chimes Of Bayonets, released their first album, Replicator, in February of this year after a string of EP's dating back to 2018. There comes a point in most bands career that warrants the need for an album over an EP. It's a way to really showcase themselves and give the fans something substantial to sink … Read more
Chimp Spanner
All Roads Lead Here
Basick (2012)
I will say, right off the bat, the composition ability of Paul Ortiz, a.k.a. Chimp Spanner, is undeniably top-notch, as is his musicality. Sure, he can be a bit self-indulgent at times, but then again, as a solo artist, isn't that more or less the point? Regardless, it's clear that his latest album, All Roads Lead Here, is a visionary … Read more
Chiodos
Bone Palace Ballet
Equal Vision (2007)
Before we begin, a short caveat: a little more than six years ago, when first throwing myself into the world of hardcore and post-anything, I was a fan of some terrible music. My CD and t-shirt collection was almost an homage to Trustkill Records. And for a time, I actually thought listening to Coheed and Cambria excessively might change my … Read more
Chokecherry
The Future Was a Long Time Ago
Independent (2015)
Expect adjectives. Adjectives and hyphens. For, you see, Chokecherry are a punk band that doesn’t play punk songs. I guess folk-punk is the subgenre tag du jour, but that term steers in the wrong direction in many ways. As does country-punk, though it’s far more apt. Chokecherry play country songs run through a DIY punk filter, influenced by a lifestyle … Read more
Chord
Flora
Neurot (2009)
What happens when music nerds (hey, I am one of them) get together and bond over their music nerd-dom? Well, besides a great deal of talk, interesting musical ideas are born from just these types of occasions. Chord is an outcome of such a discussion of fellow musicians over their craft. Chord, besides being comprised of members of Pelican, Unfortunaut, … Read more
Chosen
Promo 2007
Independent (2007)
HEY YOU! Metal Blade! Century Media! Lifeforce! Earache! All you record labels down with the metal: LISTEN UP! Chosen is an independent metal band hailing from Ireland and I can say with all sincerity that the fact that none of you have stepped up and signed these guys is a Goddamn travesty. Granted, this might be due to the fact … Read more
Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves
Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves
No Idea (2009)
Over the course of a period of time, Chris Wollard (of Hot Water Music, The Draft, Blacktop Cadence, and Rumbleseat fame) and a gaggle of friends (George Rebelo of Hot Water Music sits in on drums on some tracks) recorded a batch of songs composed by Wollard that were basically front porch jams that got fleshed out into more realized … Read more
Christian Brady
Christian Brady
Independent (2006)
For those that don't know, Christian Brady is the bearded frontman for Mass Movement of the Moth, and this is his self-recorded cassette that his mom helped him release. Like Mass Movement of the Moth this tape is kind of "out there" in a fun kind of way, and is really all over the place. Expecting to hear typical acoustic … Read more
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Axiom
Ropeadope Records (2020)
I believe Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah requires practically no other introduction than his name – especially for people savvy within the realm of jazz. The award-winning musician along with his band has managed to throw together a marvelous collection of songs as his third live album, titled succinctly, Axiom. This all went down across four days during March last year … Read more
Christos Fanaras
Impermanence
Adaadat (2014)
It’s difficult to find a decent single-track LP these days. A classic is Sleep’s Dopesmoker (disregarding the album’s live bonus material). The title track is a 63 minute-long sludgy opus about Jesus getting stoned in the desert. It’s definitely one of my favorite albums of all time, too. Another brilliant one-track album is The Great Barrier Reefer by Bongripper, a … Read more
Chromatics
Plaster Hounds
GSL (2004)
There I was. Stranded at an abandoned gas station just north of Mexico and just south of reality. The only thing keeping me cool was the shade created by my moustache and mullet. After four hours of solo Tai Chi I could see movement entering the horizon via motor vehicle, stage left. When the foreign body got close enough where … Read more
Chryst
PhantasmaChronica
Omniversal (2011)
Perhaps it's best I start with this: I really, really want to like this album. Chryst's epic monstrosity PhantasmaChronica is usually the kind of stuff I actively seek out. I'm one applaud a band for taking the risk of writing a 50-minute operatic black metal suite. But I keep finding myself coming back to one hitch: the style of an … Read more
Chuck Cirino
Not of This Earth Original Soundtrack
Terror Vision Records (2015)
Though composer Chuck Cirino is not a name that most movie fans – even those who like B-movies – would instantly recognize, there's a decent chance cult film aficionados have heard some of his work. First breaking into movie soundtrack work on 1980's Gypsy Angels, a film best known for featuring a then-unknown Vanna White in various states of undress, … Read more
Chuck Ragan
Covering Ground
Side One Dummy (2011)
With guest spots from Brian Fallon (Gaslight Anthem), Chris Phillips (Squirrel Nut Zippers), Frank Turner, Audra Mae, Rick Steff and Todd Neene (Lucero), and Christopher Thorn (Blind Melon), it would be easy to think of Covering Ground as one of those records that builds itself around special appearances and musical specialties that can’t be re-produced live. Instead, Chuck Ragan’s lengthy … Read more
Chuck Ragan
Gold Country
Side One Dummy (2009)
When Hot Water Music vocalist/guitarist, Chuck Ragan released Feast or Famine, it took a lot of fans by surprise. There have been a lot of punk musicians who form acoustic side projects in their down time, but how many of them sounded as good and authentic as Feast or Famine did? That album carried a very strong folk vibe and … Read more
