Celeste
Infidele(s)
Denovali (2017)
French extreme/post metal outfit Celeste have been on a path of destruction since their inception back in 2005. Their introduction to the scene was made by the release of their debut EP, Pessimiste(s), a work that showcased their unique blend of sounds. Ranging from black metal and sludge, to post-hardcore, the music of Celeste kept coming with conviction and purpose … Read more
Celeste
Nihiliste(s)
Denovali (2008)
Celeste is another player on the scene that offers music in similar fashion (although their take on it is much noisier and a bit more to the point with much shorter average song lengths and such) to bands that follow the path cut by Neurosis, Isis, Cult of Luna, etc. Nihiliste(s) is Celeste's first full-length, and this outfit from Lyon, … Read more
Celestia
Apparitia-Sumptuous Spectre
Paragon (2007)
More melody than mayhem, France's Celestia is a band that catches your ear immediately because while they can definitely fly the black flag over their heads, they have an oddly upbeat overall tone to the music. Of course this is a paradox to the true nature of the genre of black metal, but it does open it up to a … Read more
Celestiial
Desolate North (Re-Issue)
Handmade Birds (2011)
Allow me to be quite frank with this one, please; if you do not own the vinyl release of Desolate North from Celestiial (no that is not a typo) that Handmade Birds put out, than my friend, you are doing it all wrong because this record is a singularly beautiful release (and I am not just talking about the artwork … Read more
Cellar Doors
Cellar Doors
Hear Here (2019)
The distance between San Francisco and Manchester is 5,000 miles, but Californian psychedelic trio Cellar Doors are determined to bridge that distance on their self-titled debut album. The band is already making waves across the Atlantic, having caught the attention of ex-Smiths drummer Mike Joyce and enlisting Inspiral Carpets frontman Stephen Holt as their manager, and their album sounds as … Read more
Celtic Frost
Monotheist
Century Media (2006)
There are few bands that had as much of an impact on my youth as Celtic Frost. Rising from the ashes of Hellhammer, Thomas Gabriel Fischer and Martin Eric Ain released the seminal album Morbid Tales. The year was 1984 and to say this album fascinated me was an understatement. Even though I had been listening to the heavier side … Read more
Century
Black Ocean
Prosthetic (2008)
Thanks to the ever increasing popularity of whack bands like Bullet for My Valentine, Trivium, etc. among the metallically-naïve listeners out there, it seems that metalcore has taken the place of nu-metal as the classification that bands most want to avoid - although deathcore is aggressively seeking the title, as well. Century is one band that can carry the metalcore … Read more
Cephalic Carnage
Misled By Certainty
Relapse (2010)
Cephalic Carnage have been around the block. For nearly twenty years they’ve been playing their unique blend of grindcore and technical death metal. When it comes to metal, these guys know what the fuck is up. Their previous album Xenosapien is one of my favorites from any genre to have been released in the past few years. That record was … Read more
Ceremony
In the Spirit World Now
Relapse (2019)
It’s fun to introduce old Ceremony to their new fans and hear comments like, “Wow, that guy must’ve worked out his anger issues”. It’s true that Ross Farrar’s lyrics have recently favored elegant introspection over spiteful threats to fight society with hate-packed fists, or to strangle it, or to curb stomp it, or to watch it burn to the fucking … Read more
Ceremony
Ruined
Malfunction (2005)
Ceremony is hateful and unrelenting hardcore/punk from California. Why people from California are so angry is beyond me, but since it results in hardcore as stellar as this, I'll let it slide. Ceremony formed from several mid-level (in notoriety) hardcore bands in the Bay Area a couple years back, and have since transformed themselves into one of the most promising … Read more
Ceremony
Still Nothing Moves You
Bridge Nine (2008)
I could easily give Ceremony's latest album a token crappy review because quite frankly I find this band a bit too overrated to garner an actual unbiased review from me. I really hate to be "that guy" but I haven't enjoyed anything from this North Bay based hardcore unit since their demo and subsequent 7". Everything afterwards just came at … Read more
Ceremony
Zoo
Matador (2012)
Few bands have covered as much ground within the confines of the hardcore genre as northern California’s Ceremony. The release of 2008’s Still Nothing Moves You saw a stunning display of brash powerviolence, while retaining traditional hardcore influence, and their third album, Rohnert Park, saw a stark evolution into more experimental and melodic territories without relinquishing the viciousness they’ve come … Read more
Černá
Restoring Life
Domestic Genocide (2013)
It's rapidly becoming clear to me that "post-black metal" just isn't a great name for a genre. In addition to the obvious clunkiness and how little "post-" actually means, a strong argument can be made that the genre doesn't have any legitimate claim to the black metal mantle in the first place. And it's hard to disagree, especially with acts … Read more
Chad VanGaalen
Shrink Dust
Sub Pop (2014)
It’s 11 o’clock on a Saturday night. You’re lying in your bed, craving some late night music. You want something dreamy, but not Panda Bear dreamy; something minimal, but not Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy minimal; something that comfortably sits in the middle of it all. Try out Chad VanGaalen.The Calgary singer/songwriter has been making awesome psych folk since 2001. After a … Read more
Chain Cult
Demo 2018
La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk (2018)
I don’t know much about Chain Cult – and sometimes that’s a good thing coming into a band. Instead of a bio, the review might actually talk about the music instead. Chain Cult calls Athens, Greece home and this release, succinctly titled Demo 2018 has 6 songs and runs about 17 minutes.The first note is that, for being called a … Read more
Chain Whip
14 Lashes
Drunken Sailor (2020)
This is the kind of hardcore that makes my throat hurt just listening. It’s also the kind of hardcore where I can’t sit still while listening, even when tethered to headphones at work. It’s high energy, relentless and, somehow, it just never lets up. To keep coining silly phrases, this is sweaty, gasp-for-air hardcore. As each of the songs fade … Read more
Chain Whip
Chain Whip
Dirt Cult (2018)
There’s angry music that’s angry in tone, and there’s angry by trope. Chain Whip is just plum angry. When Josh shouts, the first instinct is to take a step back and watch for spit. It’s blunt, brutal and literally in your face. This EP rips through 5 songs in 6 minutes. While it’s all short, fast, and loud, it’s also … Read more
Chained Bliss
Chained Bliss
Drunken Sailor (2022)
There are certain guitar tones that recall another era, and Chained Bliss are rooted in one of them. When I hear the angular riffs and repetitive structures on the band’s self-titled debut full-length, I’m immediately taken back in time to the glory days of Wire or Gang Of Four. But while Chained Bliss shares some similarities with the British post-punk … Read more
