The Guilt Show
Before They Know We're All Dead
Refoundation (2009)
Now this is more like it. After the slow burn of the opening track "Raise My Flag," The Guilt Show go for the throat with a violent thrashing attack of blitzkrieg type hardcore that reminds me of a cross between The Suicide File and Striking Distance. How awesome is that? Well yeah, it is awesome. The Guilt Show, like their … Read more
The Handshake Murders
Usurper
Goodfellow (2007)
I feel like right now is an interesting juncture in "hardcore." With its popularity and accessibility, there are a lot of throwback bands that might seem progressive to some. But, really, some things are better left in the hands of either your predecessors or more capable hands. The Handshake Murders, which is an absolutely insipid, meaningless name, are unfortunately a … Read more
The Haxan Cloak
Excavation
Tri Angle (2013)
What dream like states can you imagine, and how exactly might you reach such a trance? Do you use illicit and not so illicit substances, or are you maybe touched a bit having brushed wings with delirium one too many times? Regardless of how you might enter a waking dream world, what do you enjoy to use as the soundtrack?Ever … Read more
The Hidden Hand
Devoid of Color
Southern Lord (2005)
Being the latest creative outfit of one Scott "Wino" Weinrich (formerly of The Obsessed, St. Vitus, Spirit Caravan, and more), people have a sound and musical quality that they have come to expect. The Hidden Hand has delivered much more thus far with Divine Propaganda and Mother, Teacher, Destroyer. With that fact in mind, the band drops Devoid of Color, … Read more
The Hidden Hand
The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote
Southern Lord (2007)
Let's be up front with this right off the bat. For all of Wino's - the guitarist and vocalist of the Hidden Hand - history in prominent bands like The Obsessed, St. Vitus, Spirit Caravan, etc, he is a workhorse musician who maintains a level of consistency that most bands and songwriters would kill to have. The Resurrection of Whiskey … Read more
The Hives
The Black and White Album
A&M (2007)
You either like The Hives or you don't. Yes, it's that simple. The whole shtick, the outfits, the ego, be it embellished or not, the band formation at the behest of never-seen oft-mentioned mysterious "Randy Fitzsimmons." And, oh yeah, the music. It's all part and parcel of The Hives experience, which you dig, or you don't. I dig The Hives. … Read more
The Hives
Tyrannosaurus Hives
Interscope (2004)
The Hives are back, and this time they're doing it in white jackets. The Swedish five-some hit the American music scene hard three years ago, when, according to their website, the album Veni Vidi Vicious "reintroduced rock in the mainstream (No, I mean actual ROCK MUSIC)." Yes, that's right, folks. Actual, foot-stomping, screamin' vocals rock music, not that "garage" misnomer … Read more
The Hold Steady
Boys and Girls in America
Vagrant (2006)
Do you remember being just a small child, rifling your dirty paws through the cereal box trying to fish out the prize at the bottom of the box? No? Okay let's flash forward about ten years; what about when you were sitting at the dinner table thinking how you were going to get those same dirty paws down your boy/girlfriend's … Read more
The Hold Steady
Live at Fingerprints
Vagrant (2007)
The Hold Steady is a rock and roll band. With this title come certain expectations with loud electric guitars topping the list. So what happens when the band opts to go acoustic and trade the sold out concert halls for a handful of people crowded inside an independent record store? The result is the band's latest EP, Live at Fingerprints, … Read more
The Hold Steady
Stay Positive
Vagrant (2008)
Stay Positive, the fourth album finds the Brooklyn by way of Minneapolis The Hold Steady trying to further their scope as musicians and lyricists while also tackling a greater challenge: aging gracefully. While there are stumbling points to the album, the band holds steady. It's these falters though that may cause a rift in the unified scene that vocalist Craig … Read more
The Hold Steady
Teeth Dreams
Washington Square (2014)
The Hold Steady has been on quite a ride. They went from “New York bar band” to critical and indie darlings to, now, wavering somewhere on the edge of the public consciousness without really breaking into new circles. In other words, they seem to have found their fan base and stuck with it. Separation Sunday was a favorite record of … Read more
The Honorary Title
Anything Else But the Truth
Doghouse (2004)
I'm not going to lie. I first heard this band from one of those Myspace features, and I'm rather glad I did. I was interested in what this band sounded like after I saw their record cover, which displays a discerning-looking panda bear soaking in blood with human body parts in its mouth. Well all right! The sticker on the … Read more
The Hope Conspiracy
Death Knows Your Name
Deathwish Inc. (2006)
For those that did not hear The Hope Conspiracy's recent teaser 7" Hang Your Cross (which was later released as a CD and in digital format), now is your chance. Let me just say, WOW! I figured that the new full-length, Death Knows Your Name, would be good (this opinion was solely based off of the quality of said 7"), … Read more
The Hope Conspiracy
True Nihilist
Deathwish Inc. (2009)
Always an air of mystery or uncertainty surrounding The Hope Conspiracy due to their status and rare live appearances, the group provides us with a bit of a tease in the three-song EP, True Nihilist in order to remind people that they are still out there lurking on the edge of existence stewing in whatever fuels the angry sounds for … Read more
The Hourly Radio
History Will Never Hold Me
Kirtland (2006)
I've noticed that pop music has gone through a lot of changes in the last few years. One thing I've noticed is the misconceptions of what people call "original" as something that sounds exactly like what's popular at the moment. The opening sentence in the press kit for this album is as follows "C'mon, admit it! It's been years since … Read more
The Howleez
No Shame
Independent (2015)
Considering that the genre is and probably always will be associated with youth, it's worth noting that there are some more experienced players working in today's punk scene – and not just in “legacy acts” that play songs first recorded years if not decades ago. Count Gainesville, Florida quartet The Howleez among them. Singer Debra Fetzer, guitarist Hazel Levy, bassist … Read more
The Huguenots
Discography
Hydra Head (2007)
The Huguenots were a band that existed at some point during the late 1990's, or at least that is what I can conclude based on the limited information available on the band's history and their wardrobe in the select pictures available of the band - no offense. Members of the band have spent time in several popular acts, including Converge, … Read more
The Human Quena Orchestra
The Politics of the Irredeemable
Crucial Blast (2009)
Surprising as it was to me that The Human Quena Orchestra is a project featuring members of Creation is Crucifixion that flew completely under my radar, I am jumping at the chance to check out what some of those guys are up to with their music. Anyone that ever gave Creation is Crucifixion a listen may recognize the electronic nature … Read more
