Special Providence
Soul Alert
Hunnia (2012)
A lot of cool music can come from unexpected places. I’ve never been to Hungary myself, but they must be doing something right over there if they’re producing bands as good as the instrumental, prog-rock powerhouse Special Providence, especially considering their latest album, 2012’s Soul Alert.The most noticeable thing about the music is that nearly everything, especially the main melodies, … Read more
Spektr
Cypher
Agonia (2013)
The origin of black metal could easily be traced back to the early 80’s and the British band Venom. However, it was a decade later in Norway with bands like Mayhem and Darkthrone that the heavy metal subgenre truly began to take shape. The grim, lo-fi sound of early Darkthrone has undoubtedly influenced the French experimental duo, Spektr. Their third … Read more
Spelling Reform
No One’s Ever Changed
Black RD Records (2016)
This was a tough nut to crack. Wow! Why, you ask? Well, this is way out of my comfort zone. It’s as simple as that. Every now and then I enjoy that. It made me discover some great music. Writing about it is a bit more difficult as my frame of reference is a bit limited. So, let’s see what … Read more
Spells
Loose Change, Vol. 2
Big Neck Records, Keep It a Secret Records, Motorcycle Potluck Records, Shield Recordings, Snappy Little Numbers (2023)
If you haven’t seen SPELLS live you’re missing out. It’s a high energy, one-of-a-kind experience -- probably even if you don’t dig the music. Fortunately, I’m into their hook-driven sound that I’ll loosely call pop-structured punk. It gets in your head quickly, but it exactly ain’t crisp and pretty. Sure, the lyrics are often a little light-hearted, but with deeper … Read more
Spells
Past Our Prime
Big Neck Records, Keep It a Secret Records, Rad Girlfriend Records, Shield Recordings, Snappy Little Numbers (2024)
Calling your record Past Our Prime and then having a song named “Past My Prime” is messing with my head as I write this. But while there is no arguing that SPELLS are a self-aware band, that’s about as much as they’ll really mess with the listener on this record, titled (again), Past Our Prime. Musically speaking, the band play … Read more
Spells
Stimulants & Sedatives
Snappy Little Numbers Quality Audio Recordings/Rad Girlfriend Records (2020)
Spells are party punk, pure and simple. And I’m not talking songs about beer and friendship, a la early Pkew Pkew Pkew or Andrew WK. Spells are the life of the party, not just songs about what goes down when the lights dim low.Stimulants & Sedatives is sort of a concept record – it has two sides on the vinyl … Read more
Spinifex Gum
Spinifex Gum
My Shore Productions (2017)
Spinifex resin is a gum coating of some species of Spinifex grasses. The resin was traditionally used in tool making by Australian Aborigines. To produce the gum, the spinifex is threshed until the resin particles fall free. These particles are heated until they fuse together to form a moldable black tar, which is worked, while warm. When set, this gum … Read more
Spire
Metamorph
Art Of Propaganda (2011)
Australian extreme metal is one of wonder. Whether it's the heartbreaking sorrow of Austere and by extension Woods of Desolation, the war/black/thrash stylings of Deströyer 666 and Sadistik Exekution, the nightmare inducing death metal of Portal or the absolute majesty of doom legends Mournful Congregation - Australia produces some truly crushing music. And to the fore, come Spire. Clad in … Read more
Spirit Adrift
Divided By Darkness
20 Buck Spin (2019)
Spirit Adrift may have only been a band for five years or so, yet their output has been consistent (Divided by Darkness is their third full length since 2016) and it’s been excellent with it. Founded by Nate Garrett as a solo project before bringing in musicians to perform live and in turn contribute to recordings, Spirit Adrift is the … Read more
Spiritual Cramp
Spiritual Cramp
Blue Grape Music (2023)
Some bands are visual, yeah? You need to see them live, in person, to truly experience them. You need to see the costumes, the theatrics, the flashing lights and, yes, the sweat running down their faces. Spiritual Cramp are like this, but, uh, not? Not the costumes, not the theatrics, not the flashing lights (I’ll stay mum about the sweat). … Read more
Spiritualized
Amazing Grace
Sanctuary (2003)
J Spaceman's life seems to be a never-ending spiral of hard drugs and failed romances, if his records are to be believed. From his early work with the seminal space-rockers Spacemen 3, to the impressive first two Spiritualized records, to the absolutely incredible Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, to the slightly underwhelming follow-up record Let It Come … Read more
SpiritWorld
Pagan Rhythms
Independent (2020)
Remind me to kick myself for sleeping on this album, but in my defense, its description as a combination of hardcore and country presents two genres that don’t exactly have a Venn diagram of overlap. SpiritWorld is the solo project and brainchild of Stu Folsom, whose namesake Las Vegas hardcore band Folsom built the foundation of the LVHC scene in … Read more
Spitalfield
Stop Doing Bad Things
Victory (2005)
Ever since I accidentally saw them live in 2003, Spitalfield had been on my list of bands to avoid listening to. Their set was brain-implodingly bad - a sloppy mess of contrived pop-punk hooks, soulless songwriting, and the second whiniest vocals I?d ever heard (Rufio being the first.) It didn?t help that the sound quality was weak, or that the … Read more
Spitfire
Cult Fiction
Goodfellow (2008)
For some god-awful reason I have a soft spot for what this band does, and the mystifying aspect of it all is that Spitfire are surely not great musicians nor are they particularly gifted songwriters. The one element of this group, particularly their post reunion album (2006's Self Help and this one, Cult Fiction, that attracts my ears is the … Read more
Spitfire
Self-Help
Goodfellow (2006)
Before we begin, allow me to digress and give a bit of background on the monstrosity that is Spitfire, because I want to get some things out of the way immediately. On their first album, The Dead Next Door, the band was vastly different from the current incarnation. This was 1999 or so; the record was recorded with Steve Evetts … Read more
Split Cranium
Self Titled
Hydra Head (2012)
So, here we have Split Cranium an interesting project band formed by some of the people behind the acclaimed Circle with the addition of Aaron Turner (of Old Man Gloom, House Of Low Culture, Mamiffer, Jodis and formerly of Isis amongst others); and this band is nothing like anything else that these gentlemen are all known for churning out in … Read more
Spock's Beard
Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
Inside Out (2013)
As far as modern progressive rock goes, Spock's Beard are probably the most fun band around. Flippantly named after that one episode of Star Trek that gave us the frighteningly barbate Leonard Nimoy, the band have become known for releasing album after album of high quality, if not exactly original, music. Their most recent studio album, Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless … Read more
Spokenest
Gone, Gone, Gone
Drunken Sailor (2016)
I have a type, and it’s short and fast. I’m partial to it and probably less picky. It fills a need that my constantly fidgeting digits and bottomless coffee mug cannot. Besides, short and fast is just better. Duh.Spokenest are seemingly built on that same concept, playing finger-bleedingly fast guitar and drum in this husband-wife two-piece from California. On Gone, … Read more
