The Night Marchers
Scene Report
Swami (2008)
So I finally get to see the new band that has been consistently pumping through my stereo, MP3 player, computer, and car since the songs first appeared online; and yes, this is a familiar sound coming from John Reis and his compatriots, but there is something undeniably in The Night Marchers' music which compels repetitive listening of their album, See … Read more
The Night Marchers
See You in Magic
Vagrant/Swami (2008)
So, John Reis is making his "return" to the indie music with his new outfit, The Night Marchers, following the recent demises of both Hot Snakes and Rocket from the Crypt. Described as an amalgamation of sorts of the sound and themes of these previous outfits, Reis (on guitar and vocals) is not the sole member of the group as … Read more
The Nothing / Send More Paramedics
North of England, South of Heaven
In at the Deep End (2005)
There's not really that many instances I can think of where I could use the words; "hardcore", "thrash metal" and "zombies" in the same sentence to refer to something good. In fact, I'm not even sure I can think of many instances when I'd ever use those words in the same sentence at all. When talking about Send More Paramedics … Read more
The Number Twelve Looks Like You
An Inch of Gold for an Inch of Time
Eyeball (2005)
2003 might seem like forever ago for some, possibly even two years ago for the majority of us. There were many good releases in those twelve months. Put On Your Rosy Red Glasses was one of these. So naturally I was very excited for The Number Twelve Looks Like You's next release. The first thing I noticed on An Inch … Read more
The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Mongrel
Eyeball (2007)
The Number Twelve Looks Like You have always been that band that would come close to winning me over, but never impressed me enough for me to listen to their albums more than three or four times. With their previous release, Nuclear. Sad. Nuclear, there were songs I thought were innovative and worth making a fuss over and then there … Read more
The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Worse Than Alone
Eyeball (2009)
The Number Twelve Looks Like You have always been a very unorthodox band to say the least. They've been trying something new with each album and it's no different with their latest album, Worse Than Alone. Pinning them to one genre is difficult because they incorporate so many different sounds into their music. A basic description of it can be … Read more
The Obits
Bed & Bugs
Sub Pop (2013)
Obits don’t offer many surprises on Bed & Bugs, but that’s never really been the expectation. In a long lineage of bands, Rick Froberg has defined a distinct sound and this, Obits’ third full-length, doesn’t offer many deviations. The success of Obits comes through classic, big r’n’r chops. It’s about taking the familiar and playing it in a new, memorable … Read more
The Obits
Die at the Zoo
Outer Battery Records (2021)
Die at the Zoo is a live recording from Obits, live in Brisbane, Australia, in 2012. There are 16 songs from the band’s catalog and it was recently released on limited vinyl by Outer Battery. There are probably two main angles for looking at a live record: is it capturing a time and place, or is it capturing an essence … Read more
The Obsessed
Sacred
Relapse (2017)
The Obsessed belongs in the category of the legendary American doom acts. Formed during the '70s as Warhorse, they truly kicked things off in the early '90s, with their self-titled debut full-length. Led by Scott “Wino” Weinrich, an iconic figure of the scene, The Obsessed was a powerful vehicle of heavy rock visions and bleak doom worlds. And as a … Read more
The Ocean
Pelagial
Metal Blade (2013)
The Ocean, the German post-sludge-metal act masterminded by guitarist Robin Staps, is one of the most consistently high-quality bands in metal today. Ever since Fluxion and Aeolian, Staps has led The Ocean to even greater heights with each release, never settling for anything less than hard-earned perfection. Their latest release, 2013's Pelagial, is no exception.Musically, Pelagial continues where Heliocentric and … Read more
The Ocean
Precambrian
Metal Blade (2008)
Robin Staps, The Ocean's high-striving frontman must be one hell of an easy person to work with. It's either that, or he is a dictator of epic proportions and has an ego the size of Mount Kilimanjaro. When our favorite music magazines are riddled with tales of inter band friction, even when talking about three douchebags who recently took the … Read more
The Octopus Project
Fever Forms
Peek-A-Boo Records (2013)
When did the Octopus Project add vocals? Well, it’s not exactly a lead singer—think more along the lines of Black Moth Super Rainbow (with whom they released a collaborative record in 2006)—it’s mostly loops, reverb, and effects, but it really changes the dynamic of the four-piece group from Austin, TX.Dubbing themselves “experimental pop,” Fever Forms is their fifth full-length and … Read more
The Offspring
Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
Columbia (2008)
With an album title that sounds like the most recent Foo Fighters record, a song called "Fix You" (I thought Coldplay had already professed that particular desire), and a collection of tracks that sound like they want to be Green Day, My Chemical Romance or The Offspring circa 1994, The Offspring have become imitators and glory-day seekers, shapeshifting and morphing … Read more
The Offspring
Splinter
Sony (2004)
This was always going to be a difficult record to make. Offspring have a strange legion of fans ranging from Orange County punk rockers remembering their sun-kissed punk beginnings, to the 'hey-look-its-those-pretty-fly-guys' fans who would be amazed to learn that this record is their seventh. Their last few records have been hit and miss, and Splinter is no exception. Originally … Read more
The Old Haunts
Poisonous Times
Kill Rock Stars (2008)
What is it with bands changing drummers so often? I know it's not uncommon to change a member in a group but it seems like the drummers are slightly over-represented in these statistics. Research into this band from Olympia, Washington shows that for each one of their releases they have introduced a new drummer to the fold. For Poisonous Times … Read more
The One A.M. Radio
This Too Will Pass
Dangerbird (2007)
On The One A.M. Radio's 2004 full-length, A Name Writ in Water, songwriter Hrishikesh Hirway surprised critics and listeners alike with his apprehensive brand of esoterically compact and personal lo-fi composition. Falling somewhere in the dark crevice between electronica and singer/songwriter melancholia, Hirway demonstrated an almost uncanny ability to be both rhetorically personable and musically reserved. The vaguely metropolitan musical … Read more
The Orangeburg Massacre
Moorea
Pluto (2007)
To be honest, I really didn't want to do a review for this CD. I got it the mail, looked at it, and immediately knew two things: This band has a stupid name, and I will probably not like them. Plus, there are other things I could be doing. Camel is coming out with four new brands of cigarettes that … Read more
The Other
Haunted
Drakkar Entertainment (2020)
This new album by The Other came as a bit of surprise for me. I was thrilled no less thrilled when I saw the announcement online though. This band has been one of my favorite horrorpunk bands ever since I picked up their debut album They’re Alive somewhere back in 2004 or 2005. It has been a long and awesome … Read more
