Old Tower
Draconic Synthesis
Hospital (2023)
The line between dark ambient and dungeon synth has always been blurry. Since Mortiis’ departure from Emperor and his stellar, first-era works in Født til å Herske and Ånden som Gjorde Opprør, many have traveled the same path. Amongst the newest additions to this merry group is Old Tower, the obscure project from the Netherlands. Since the mid-10s, Old Tower … Read more
Old Wounds
From Where We Came is Where We'll Rest
Glory Kid (2013)
New Jersey's Old Wounds come out of the gate bolting for the finish. After a handful of eps and a few choice covers the band finally releases their full length debut on the public. The band play a style of hardcore that combines the demonic, metallic thrust of Disembodied and the barely contained rage and guitar noise torture of Kiss … Read more
Olekranon
Danaus
Inam Records (2013)
When a band or label is as difficult to track down as Olekranon or Inam Records, then you know you're in for an experience. The chap behind Olekranon - Ryan Huber - is also the chap behind the label but getting a hold of them via the magic of the internet has proved to be a fruitless endeavour. There's a … Read more
Olivia Jean
Bathtub Love Killings
Third Man (2014)
Having piqued the interest of Jack White while handing out demos at a Dead Weather show in Detroit, Olivia Jean was quickly initiated into the Third Man Records family. She became the frontwoman of garage rockers The Black Belles, and has backed an assortment of Third Man Records signings, such as Karen Elson and Wanda Jackson. Now, armed with her … Read more
Olympia
Emergencies
Equal Vision/Hope Division (2007)
Right now there are too many bands running around using descriptors like "post-hardcore" or "post-rock" that when you get around to hearing the band you are treated to yet another run of the mill rock band like Vanna, Aiden, From First to Last or any other ripe for Warped Tour fodder. I was hearing rumblings of this band called Olympia … Read more
Om
Addis Dubplate
Drag City (2013)
Everyone's favourite stoner rock band with a flair for the religious Om has been on a roll lately, releasing the incredible Advaitic Songs just last year. But they aren't stopping anytime soon--in addition to a planned single from frontman Al Cisneros to hit later this year, two of the band's tracks from their latest release have been handled by British … Read more
Om
Advaitic Songs
Drag City (2012)
Om is one of those offshoot bands that wound up better than it had any right to be. Borne from the ashes of stoner metal giant Sleep, Om managed to create a two-piece band whose hypnotic tunes were much more powerful than they would appear on the surface. What could a band really do with just a rhythm section? Yet, … Read more
Om
Conference of the Birds
Holy Mountain (2006)
There is little disputing that Sleep was the quintessential stoner metal band. After breaking up due to the band's now infamous falling out with London Records, the members went on to form two bands that are insanely heavy in their own ways. Forming High on Fire, guitarist Matt Pike upped the tempos and the technical ability. Meanwhile, bassist Al Cisneros … Read more
Om
Gethsemane Dubplate
Drag City (2013)
Everyone's favourite stoner rock band with a flair for the religious Om has been on a roll lately, releasing the incredible Advaitic Songs just last year. But they aren't stopping anytime soon--in addition to a planned single from frontman Al Cisneros to hit later this year, two of the band's tracks from their latest release have been handled by British … Read more
Om
Pilgrimage
Southern Lord (2007)
Sleep was great. High on Fire is pretty good. But Om consistently impresses me, and seems to gain momentum with every album. Om seems to be getting closer than ever to carving out its own unique corner in the psychedelic genre that I could simply call "zen doom." These days "hypnotic" is a much-overused word in review writing, especially since … Read more
Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez
A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume 1
GSL (2004)
Fans of the bespectacled Omar of At The Drive-In/Mars Volta fame will already have an idea of how this record will sound thanks to Rodriguez-Lopez's creative and original guitar work in both bands. More notably in The Mars Volta (where Rodriguez wrote most of the songs) his passion for synths, drum machines, strange vocals and heavily effect-laden guitars was documented … Read more
Omar Rodriguez
Omar Rodriguez
Willie Anderson (2006)
Recorded between shows on The Mars Volta's recent European tour, Omar Rodriguez' second solo outing is a different beast from his previous release on his GSL label, 2004's A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume 1. Recorded with a band partially recruited from Mars Volta personnel and other musicians, present to bolster the instrument count, the record serves not just as a … Read more
Omega Massif
Karpatia
Denovali (2011)
Holy shit.Let me put the rest of this review in context. The day I discovered post-metal was the day I was told to listen to Isis' seminal album Oceanic. For an hour I could do nothing but sit still and listen in awe to such beauty. It started my long-standing interest in the genre, though to this day no album … Read more
Omnium Gatherum
New World Shadows
Lifeforce (2011)
As I listen to New World Shadows, the latest opus from Finland's Omnium Gatherum, I am awash in triumphant and majestic riffs that are far prettier than anything that a sub-genre of death metal should ever produce. But therein lies the rub. The reason I stay up at nights listening to New World Shadows followed by Scream Bloody Gore. These … Read more
On a Warpath
On a Warpath
Hand of Hope (2006)
Within hardcore there lies a style of music that has come to known as beatdown. It is an interesting but narrow-minded sub-genre to the whole hardcore realm. Musically, the bands that play this style of music rely heavily on having ridiculously huge breakdowns. I wouldn't be surprised if they wrote the breakdowns first and then surrounded them with the rest … Read more
On Fire
This Time it is Forever
Magic Bullet (2004)
With the crumbling of The Burning Paris, a void was left that needed to be filled. The Burning Paris' farewell of And By December You'll Know Where You're Heart Truly Lies was the masterpiece that everyone ignored. Only four songs, one being a Smiths' cover that managed to one up the original, the album was gut wrenching and utterly soothing … Read more
On Our Own / Under One Flag / Your Mistake
Split
True Destiny (2005)
Split releases are a great way for bands to promote their music in locations they might not be able to travel to for shows. This split from Own Our Own, Under One Flag, and Your Mistake is a prime example of why. Here you have three bands playing different variations of hardcore music from three different areas - Florida, Ohio, … Read more
On the Outside
Tragic Endings
Thorp (2005)
No Warning officially called it quits in late 2005, but for most of us, the band died when this photograph surfaced. I figured No Warning was headed for a career in rock-n-roll's vast array of mediocre bands that came from a hardcore background, and then put out incredibly crappy albums. Remember DYS's Fire and Ice, or Uniform Choice's Staring into … Read more
