Men as Trees
Weltschmerz
Daijoubu (2008)
Richard "Dick" Proenneke died in 2003 after living alone in the Alaskan wilderness for roughly thirty years. He built his own furniture after constructing a cabin for himself, was attacked by bears, and almost tamed a wolverine. Proenneke's naturalist life and journalistic observations at Twin Lakes is an obvious influence for Men as Trees' third release on Daijoubu Records, as … Read more
Men's Recovery Project
The Very Best of Men's Recovery Project
5 Rue Christine (2005)
The idea of releasing a "Greatest Hits" package for a band like Men's Recovery Project seems laughable on the surface. Emerging out of the scorched carcass of Born Against, Men's Recovery Project left an embarrassing stain on the face of mid-'90s hardcore, offering messy, aberrant punk fueled by primitive, farting electronics and a defiant sense of weirdness. This isn't the … Read more
Menace Beach
Ratworld
Memphis Industries (2015)
Though many people – even those who weren’t around when the system was - could probably rattle off several of the more popular NES titles of the 8-bit era, there was a whole world of games existing outside the realm of the familiar gray plastic cartridge. Developed by independent publishers, unlicensed NES games appeared in misshapen, strangely colored plastic housing … Read more
Menace Beach
Super Transporterreum
Memphis Industries (2015)
After dropping their debut album Ratworld earlier this year, Leeds-based Menace Beach have wasted no time in producing an energetic but decidedly more focused follow-up. The five songs on the Super Transporterreum EP exist most obviously in the grunge spectrum, imagining what a less depressive and moody Nirvana would have sounded like. What immediately struck me about the EP was … Read more
Menace Ruine
Alight In Ashes
Profound Lore (2012)
Up until now I believed that Menace Ruine would not release anything that I would find mind blowing. Their three previous albums (Cult of Ruins, The Die Is Cast and Union of Irreconcilables), although good releases, could not prepare me at the slightest for what Menace Ruine was able to conjure with Alight In Ashes. The band brings together elements … Read more
Meneguar
I Was Born at Night
Magic Bullet (2005)
Meneguar, formerly Sheryl's Magnetic Aura, hails from New York and has members of Books Lie, I Am the Resurrection, and The State Secedes. Despite the impressive background of influential and often underrated hardcore bands, Meneguar doesn't bear much resemblance to their previous endeavors. In fact, they're not even hardcore. However, this is definitely as good as or better than anything … Read more
Meneguar
Strangers in Our House
Troubleman Unlimited (2007)
Let's be completely honest, Meneguar is an overrated band. But what's wrong with being overrated? Refused, Converge, Nirvana, even The Beatles are overrated, and I don't think anyone would argue the impact and talent each band had or continue to have on their respective genres of music. I'm in no way trying to compare Meneguar to any of the bands … Read more
Menomena
Friend and Foe
Barsuk (2007)
Wow, this is really rare. Admittedly, this is my first exposure to Menomena - in a nostalgic sort of way; I love their band name. I was drawn to Friend and Foe, the second full-length from the band, because of the superior artwork that they employ for the packaging of the record. What is inside that packaging was a total … Read more
Mental
Get an Oxygen Tank!
Bridge Nine (2003)
You know, I could sit here and lie to you about how there are certain artists that are doing something important and/or completely original. Why not? I mean most people who review albums for other websites do. I could do that, but it wouldn't really matter 'cause the people who will read this probably won't care anyway. Mental comes from … Read more
Mental Architects
Celebrations
Independent (2012)
Though I hadn't heard of Bulgarian math rockers Mental Architects myself, as soon as I heard their 2012 album Celebrations, I knew they weren't your average math rock band. The key feature of Mental Architects' music is the impressive level of technical complexity that abounds in their music. But unlike most tech death or math rock acts, whose technicality can … Read more
Merauder
God is I
Regain (2009)
Oh hey what do you know, Merauder is back. For those that don't remember, Merauder put out the classic crossover album Master Killer in 1995. Master Killer set the stage for what would become a metal soaked final years of the last millennium for hardcore, especially within the confines of New York City. I didn't even know Merauder put out … Read more
Mercy Killings
Snuffed Out
Beach Impediment (2015)
This is the second 7” from this new-ish congruence of Richmond, VA old-timers. The band flexes a pedigree that includes Wasted Time, Government Warning, Direct Control and a whole bunch of others. Eight minutes in total of bulldozer USHC in the most straightforward sense. No fucking about whatsoever; just head down, get the fuck out of the way hardcore punk. … Read more
Merger
Second To Last
Impetus (2023)
Merger was a short lived band that was active between 2017 and 2019. In that time the band recorded one EP. Now, years after the band quit, this single is the first of two planned releases. This EP is my introduction to the band. It was not an easy introduction. In fact, it took me a lot of time to … Read more
Merit
Arson is for Lovers
Independent (2009)
Merit is from upstate New York and annoys the living fuck out of me. Sadly Merit wants to be Paramore. If my teenage daughter came home and said she wanted be in a band that sounded like Paramore, I'd cut her from the will. Which wouldn't mean that much to her anyhow, because she would obviously become a huge star … Read more
Merzbow & Meat Beat Manifesto
Extinct
Cold Spring (2024)
Extinct is a meeting of giants, seeing the breakbeat-fueled leftfield industrial electronic of Meat Beat Manifesto clashing with the noise onslaught of Merzbow. As the first of the record’s two tracks, “¡FLAKKA!” settles in, it is the intricate and layered rhythmic backbone of MBM prevails, setting the tone. It is a post-club application, the staggered percussion forming complex structures and … Read more
Merzbow, Scott Miller & Lee Camfield
No Closure
Cold Spring (2013)
Merzbow is noise music. While this may seem like an overstatement, Masami Akita is the forebear of the genre itself not to mention the most well known name in said genre. So i would have a hard time believing anyone involved in noise in even the most perfunctory way would pass up the opportunity to work on a project with … Read more
Meshuggah
Catch Thirty Three
Nuclear Blast (2005)
There are lots of ways that one can view the genre of metal and any of its countless sub-genres - a soundtrack to your miserable life, a vicarious escape from the mundane, the optimum means of combating (or embracing) anger - all are possibilities, but not many will admit to regarding it as a valid art form, just as capable … Read more
Meshuggah
I
Fractured Transmitter (2004)
Meshuggah is one of those bands that make me want to grow my hair out and head-bang for hours on end. When I was around the age of 11, I wanted nothing more than to sport some long flowing locks. Why? At the time, I was attending private school, so we had a fairly strict dress code, one that included … Read more
