In the Red
Volume 2
Suburban Home (2009)
California's In the Red always fell under the radar to me until I decided to listen to vocalist/guitarist, Mike Hale's latest solo album, Lives Like Mine. I really liked this album and his other solo work and was impressed enough with his acoustic outing to give In the Red's sophomore record, Volume 2 a chance. Unfortunately, I was let down … Read more
Inara George
All Rise
Everloving/Loose (2005)
It's taken more than a year, but finally, Inara George's All Rise opus has been given a UK release. Readily available on import at no extra cost, the necessity for it is questionable. But with a new album on the way, featuring songs co-written by Idlewild's Rod Jones, and a performance with the very same coming up in London, the … Read more
Indian
From All Purity
Relapse (2014)
There's a song on Indian's From All Purity titled "Directional" and given the Chicago-based band's implementation of new ideas such as fuzzed out guitars and meat cleaver sludged riffs, it'd be easy to make a joke about the group going in new directions. However, the phrase "new direction" implies a sort of willingness. From All Purity, the group's fifth full-length … Read more
Indian
Slights and Abuse / The Sychophant
Seventh Rule (2008)
"Apocalyptic" is a word thrown around a lot in reviews, to the point where readers could really stop putting any stock in it. But many genres, like black metal, drone, and probably even folk, really do have a few artists deserving of this most serious adjective because of their unnerving atmospheres and epic, timeless approaches. For the doom metal genre, … Read more
Indian Summer
Hidden Arithmetic (Reissue)
Future (2007)
It just does not come anywhere near as enigmatic as this. Indian Summer was a very short-lived band from the early to mid 1990's that made music in an era when "emo" was not a dirty word (it was simply derided by uppity hardcore kids). The songs were and still are sloppy, emotional, powerful, and unnamed (their fans later gave … Read more
Indian Summer
Science 1994 (Reissue)
Future (2008)
Following up the recent release of their live "discography", Hidden Arithmetic, Indian Summer is re-releasing their "studio" discography to make available just about everything that this outfit put to tape and thankfully so since their original versions can be known to fetch decent sums of money on the collector's market. This band is a much lauded and revered group by … Read more
Infectious Garage Disease
Self Titled
Negative Reaction / MVD Audio (2013)
The gods of weird have unearthed yet another obscure group of misfits and re-unleashed them upon those of us that zealously engross ourselves in all things loud, fast and fucked up. This is the complete discography of Northern California’s short-lived thrashing party punks, Infectious Garage Disease. There is a whopping two-plus hours of material on this double disc collection. It … Read more
Infera Bruo
Desolate Unknown
Independent (2013)
Calling your band “hellish noise” sets the bar pretty high to start with. Fortunately Infera Bruo live up to that title in every aspect. The band from Boston, featuring members of other great acts such as Trap Them, Manias and more, follows up their 2011 self-titled debut album; with their sophomore release Desolate Unknown. The band’s black metal vision is … Read more
Infera Bruo
In Conjuration
Bindrune Records (2015)
I came across Infera Bruo a couple of years back when they were releasing their debut album, Desolate Unknown. The perspective of the band on the black metal genre was intriguing, remaining true to the roots of the genre, but also building on top of its traditional outlook. The dissonant quality was overflowing in the record, while the inclusion of … Read more
Inhale Exhale
The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred
Solid State (2007)
The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred starts off with this atmospheric near dirge ditty that I thought I might have a Joy Division clone on my hands. That would have been a treat, sadly the guitars down tune, the drums begin the pummel, and then some screaming is started. Oh of course, it wouldn't be today's metalcore without some nicely … Read more
Inhumanity Vortex
Reverse Engineering
Independent (2020)
Inhumanity Vortex started life in Poland in 2008 as the project of Tomasz Dziekoński and has slowly evolved over time into a sort of cyber tech-death metal band that has grown beyond the initial seeds of inspiration from those early days. Having released a handful of pre-production demos and EPs prior to Reverse Engineering in the winter of 2020, Inhumanity … Read more
Inject the Light
The Apocalypse Is Boring
Dirt Cult (2020)
Inject the Light is a time capsule, a one-person project from Chris Mason that’s about living in the moment of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Mason, who has also plays with Low Culture and Macho Boys, among others, takes a new approach here. This five-song digital release is a little on the lo-fi side, with elements of New Wave, No Wave, synth … Read more
Ink Bomb
Fiction
Independent (2019)
What I like about loads of European bands is that they sing in their native tongue. Sure, you’ll find bands everywhere that write at least part of their lyrics in English, but there are so many bands that write and sing in their mother tongue. I usually prefer that over English lyrics by non-native speakers. The quality of the lyrics … Read more
Insect Warfare
Endless Execution Thru Violent Restitution
625 Thrash (2006)
Insect Warfare is back bringing their Gulf Coast grindcore obliteration in the form of a new 7" EP entitled Endless Execution Thru Violent Restitution on 625 Thrash. Although their fanbase and popularity soared in the wake of their debut EP, At War With Grindcore, this EP is sure to make them into the legends that they deserve to be. The … Read more
Inspire Influence
Planet Destroyer
Independent (2012)
Planet Destroyer, the debut EP from Toronto-based post-rock band Inspire Influence, is unhinged in execution, rising and falling like an endless wave of hopeless determination. Creating an atmosphere of desolation from the initial static of introductory track “Repairing,” the 5-song EP reads like a cohesive tale of intergalactic exploration through repetition, slow build-ups, and eventual climatic bursts of distorted frustration. … Read more
Instilled
Unfinished Business
State of Mind (2004)
The city of Atlanta is known for its output of southern fried rap and hip hop MC's like Outkast, Ludacris, and Jermaine Dupri. But there is more to the city than just inane rhymes and crunk beats. Not unlike hip hop in the 80's, Instilled are ready to break out of the shadow of modern music and take the world … Read more
Integrity
Suicide Black Snake
Magic Bullet / A389 Records (2013)
Take this raging slab of an album and play it on your stereo at loud volumes until your fragile eardrums explode causing you to bleed out of your ear canals because Integrity is back with another record of metal / hardcore anthems that delve the dark side the way that only Dwid and his cohorts can (with this record he … Read more
Integrity
Systems Overload (A2/Orr Mix)
Organized Crime (2013)
Hail the almighty Integrity and their decision to remix and re-master their classic hardcore album Systems Overlord after teasing us with rumors (when do rumors not swirl around this outfit really) for what feels like decades of an “original mix” of the album that was not what Victory Records used for their ultimate release of the record; the only way … Read more
