Though the artist/album title combination features enough frustratingly doubled letters to require this review to be rewritten no less than five times, New Zealand instrumental three-piece Kerretta's newest album Saansilo is such an impressive release that I really didn't mind.Kerretta's sound seems caught somewhere between Isis and Tool, and I mean that as a compliment. The songs have this drone-like … Read more
For those of you that don't recognize the name, Kevin Hufnagel is actually a fairly prolific musician, playing in technical and progressive metal bands like Dysrythmia and Gorguts. And, funnily enough, that's exactly what his 2011 solo album Transparencies is not. Instead, Hufnagel delves into ambient music, with great success.His ambient creations on this album have that powerful cathartic effect … Read more
Talk about the last gasp of air from a dead corpse, Clean Hands Go Foul is the final studio recordings from Khanate, and their third studio full-length (if one counts Capture & Release as an EP) that the band released. Honestly, it is a surprise to see this as the band broke up quite a while ago; but it is … Read more
Seriously, Tofutopia? An album called Tofutopia? This is the album title of this record? Surely, this band has to be joking, does it not? As this record sits in my review pile, I find it increasingly difficult to take it seriously, even though that may be the point. Chris Owens - guitarist/vocalist of Lords and engineer of records by Achilles, … Read more
Khlyst, being comprised of James Plotkin (formerly of Khanate and involved in a multitude of other projects) and Runhild Gammelsaeter (formerly of Thorr's Hammer), could easily be expected to produce some of the most unsettling music out there. But Chaos is My Name is almost too avant-garde for its own good. Chaos is My Name has an ebb and flow … Read more
Khuda are extremely good at making me feel uncomfortable in new and interesting ways. For only two people, Tom Brooke and Steve Myles have done a lot to take the standard post-metal formula and twist some new life into it. And though the result is a bit confusing at first, it's certainly an interesting and rewarding listen.The first thing that … Read more
Apparently Kickback is from France and is controversial as well as infamous. I'm not trying to doubt these claims but I haven't been able to find any reason why they'd be either of the last two things save for some of their artwork and the music video now streaming on their Myspace page. For a band that is nearing twenty … Read more
There are side-projects and then there are supergroups. A side-project is something that a band member fiddles with when they are bored. But a supergroup is a project that no matter how hard it is kept under wraps won't be held back. Kid Kilowatt is a supergroup, a supergroup comprised of members of Cave In (Stephen Brodsky and Adam McGrath), … Read more
If it was 1993, this would be called emo. But a lot has changed in scenes and sounds since then, so I won’t go there. Instead, I’m going to call Kid You Not elastic punk. Here’s To Feelin’ Good All The Time is constantly shifting complex moods but it always stays strong, dynamic and somewhat positive. It’s about our relationship … Read more
Kid You Not has some pretty clear influences behind their melodic pop-punk sound. With semi-coarse vocals that lead to big sing-along choruses, Iron Chic and Red City Radio shine through. It’s not really shining music though. These are some cynical songs that wallow in an unpleasant world.As a whole, this is a solid record with some flaws. The overall sound … Read more
I was tempted to start this review with a “for fans of” reference, but that’s both lazy and mean. Kid You Not aren’t reinventing the punk rock wheel here but, c’mon -- if you’re listening to punk that’s not what you should expect in the first place. It’s a derivative style that’s more about energy, emotion and community than art.Based … Read more
I might as well start this review off by saying I have never liked Kids Like Us. There is nothing about their music that enthralls me. Actually their moshy "skater jams" annoy the living piss out of me with their juvenile lyrics and token mosh parts. There has been countless stories of lame debauchery that this band has caused on … Read more
Blood, decay, and darkness, that’s what I think of when I listen to Kill Matilda’s re-release EP #Punk#Zombie#RocknRoll which derived from their 2011 full length album I Want Revenge. This album grips my mind and twists my emotions! I imagine myself in a dank basement with thirty of the coolest people I know, crammed in, with can’s of PBR, and … Read more
he new Kill Your Idols record, From Companionship to Competition, is the best mediocre record since Shutdown's Against All Odds was released in 1998. I don't know about you, but I listened to that record constantly, I was psyched about the Brooklyn Youth Crew, and I rocked my Shutdown summer tour shirt until I accidentally turned it pink bleaching my … Read more
I'm a fan of Kill Your Idols, hell I rock their hoodie every cold day in myriad of cold days that I endure in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. I've even been privy to see Kill Your Idols twice in the last five years, which by Twin Cities standards, that's like seeing them every week. Kill Your Idols is a … Read more
Kill Your Idols were always one of those bands to me. I never considered myself a fan of their music, maybe having a track or two on various compilations, but I would never outwardly say "they suck" or some similar criticism. My indifference to the band wasn't total either. I can recount seeing them four or five times, almost always … Read more
As a band, Killing Joke has had numerous peaks and valleys in their career over the past 30 plus years most recently with the death of longtime bassist Paul Raven. The band has been one of the few to successfully tap into different genres over the year’s punk, Goth, metal, rock and experimental dub to name a few. The band’s … Read more
Think to yourself briefly and see if you can think of more than a handful of bands that have existed for nearly 30 years. Now think of how many of those bands have not only managed to stick to their own sound but also progress within their given sound consistently within that time. How many bands fit within those guidelines? … Read more
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