Kurt Cobain: About a Son
DVD
Shout Factory (2008)
Documentaries in this day and age have become a dime a dozen. Gone are the days of documentaries as an event i.e. waiting for the next Errol Morris or Michael Moore film. Gone are the days of limiting your subject matter to crime or war to catch an audience's interest. Given the proper direction, shown in the right context, a … Read more
Kvelertak
Splid
Rise (2020)
There is a party going down in the Norwegian woods. There is a massive bonfire and hundreds of long-haired figures, stumbling around it, charging at each other and howling at the moon. The golden light of the flame reflecting off their leather jackets. Beer slacking their throats in preparation for the next bellow. It seems like a good time, but … Read more
Kwaidan
Make All The Hell of Dark Metal Bright
Bathetic Records (2013)
One of the wisest moves you can make when your band lies within the ambient music scene is to construct a certain aura for it that will attract the prospective listener before he even hears a single note from your band; the easiest way to attract attention comes from the very name of the band. Ande Foisy (of Locrian,) Mike … Read more
Kylesa
From The Vaults, Vol. 1
Season of Mist (2012)
It’s been a little over two years since Savannah, GA’s beastly crew of psychedelic-hardcore-crust-punk-sludge-metal purveyors Kylesa have released their last full-length record, Spiral Shadow. While the band continued to work on a sixth studio album, which is slated for release later this spring, they also wanted to give the fans something special in the interim. From the Vaults, Vol. 1 … Read more
Kylesa
Static Tensions
Prosthetic (2009)
Is it really time for another Kylesa album? It may only seem like yesterday but it has been quite a while since their last album, Time Will Fuse its Worth, and the band looks intent on besting that effort in every way. Still set with its dual drummer line-up, Kylesa offer Static Tensions with its ten tracks of their crust … Read more
Kylesa
Time Will Fuse its Worth
Prosthetic (2006)
Kylesa is a conundrum. They straddle so many genres and styles of music that it is almost fruitless to attempt to classify them. However, I believe that this fact is part of their appeal where in other bands' cases, it would be a detriment. Regardless, their new album, Time Will Fuse its Worth, marks the addition of two new drummers … Read more
L.A. Takedown
II (2017)
Ribbon Music (2017)
You don’t need to have been to Los Angeles to best experience L.A. Takedown’s latest album, II. It’s an album that’s evocative of a time and place, though it’s one that may or may not exist. The fact that it’s almost entirely instrumental (save for some lightly sprinkled vocoder in its final moments) doesn’t provide any concrete evidence. It’s an … Read more
L'Assassins
7 PM Go!!!
Big Action (2012)
Big Action Records’ latest release, 7pm Go!!! from L’Assassins is definitely in line with their recent catalog. Instead of throwback garage, however, L’Assassins have a surf-rockabilly sound that’s takes inspiration from the original genre instead of the bastardized psychobilly that rules punksubgenreland today. This sounds like the kind of record your parents (or, for you younglings out there, your grandparents) … Read more
L7
Scatter The Rats
Blackheart Records (2019)
At the height of the Northwest music explosion of the early 90s, L7 were among many bands branded with the ubiquitous tag of “grunge”. They weren’t from Seattle, but they had just enough distortion on their guitars to be regarded as such. This put them in a unique situation, as they were really the only all-female band to be inducted … Read more
La Armada
Anti-Colonial, Vol. 2
Mal De Ojo Records (2022)
I’ve been reading about the atrocities in Ukraine as I listen to Anti-Colonial, Vol. 2. Let’s just say that every act of imperialism is unique but combining listening to this record definitely highlights the brutal impact when a state tries to conquer a people. This record isn’t just political hardcore. It seethes with anger and inherited trauma. It’s a fucking … Read more
La Coka Nostra
Masters of the Dark Arts
Fat Beats (2012)
Masters of the Dark Arts marks the return of La Coka Nostra, a rap supergroup who were last heard from in ’09 on their then long-awaited debut album A Brand You Can Trust. LCN had originally assembled sometime in ’05 as a much larger entity than they are today. With a large contingent of Caucasian members in tow, the original … Read more
La Crisi
II - Tutti a Pezzi
Hurry Up! (2008)
Is there any better imagery than broken teeth? La Crisi don't seem to think so. Given the ferocity on II - Tutti a Pezzi I have to wonder if the cover image is what singer Mayo's mouth looks like after a particularly violent show. When it comes to namedropping influences, there are plenty of good ones for this band: Bad … Read more
La Dispute
Rooms Of The House
Better Living (2014)
La Dispute’s 2011 post-hardcore masterpiece Wildlife was not only the highlight release of that year, but one of the finest records that I myself have humbly observed. Personal accolades aside, this opinion is one shared by many others, and not without due reason. Wildlife represented at the time of it's release not only an extended display of unbridled emotionality, but … Read more
La Dispute
Wildlife
No Sleep (2011)
La Dispute is a band that catches a lot of flak. People tend to jump to conclusions about their “whiney” sound, and the infamous song “Such Small Hands” doesn’t help their case. I myself took early judgment on the band and chose to dislike them. But once I checked my ego at the door and gave Wildlife a real shot, … Read more
La Fraction
De L’Autre Côté
Crash Disques, Fraction Productions, General Strike, Gestalt, Konstroy, Maloka, Mass Productions, Mescufurus, Stonehenge Rds, Tranzophobia, Trujaca Fala, Twisted Chords (2022)
La Fraction returns after years of absence! If you responded with the same: “huh?” I ushered when I learned this, there is not much to be ashamed about. I had never heard of this band before. However, after listening to De L’Autre Côté I am a bit sad I did not hear of this band earlier. Better late than never, … Read more
La Quiete
Tenpeun '01-'05
The Perpetual Motion Machine (2006)
For whatever reason, the Italian La Quiete is supremely underrated. They've been putting out releases since 2001 and for whatever reason dudes and dudettes alike are sleeping on them. Well, now's your time to wake up, because their newest release, Tenpeun '01-'05 is a discography of sorts that includes their OOP (out of print) material. Included are their song(s) from … Read more
Ladyfinger (ne)
Dusk
Saddle Creek (2009)
I thought rock was a dead scene. The radio repeatedly fed me the term since my early teens, pushing different versions of the same band on the airways. Everything sounded like a watered down rendition of some seventies ideal I never cared about. Nothing I'd ever heard described as rock had any heart, let alone any balls. Ladyfinger (ne) are … Read more
Ladyfinger (ne)
Heavy Hands
Saddle Creek (2006)
First off, I have to say, "wow." This is really on Saddle Creek? That is totally unexpected. Being unfamiliar with what Ladyfinger (ne) is capable of musically, I am totally surprised. Heavy Hands is the debut album from these guys. It is a more than interesting offering by the description that I have been given for them. Most people have … Read more
