Counterparts
The Difference Between Hell and Home
Victory (2013)
The largest requirement of a piece of music, especially from a genre like hardcore, is the intention of creating something completely new: a blending of influences with one's own contributions to create something that's never been heard before. In turn, the biggest requirement of a band is progression: a maturation in both concept and sound and a willingness to experiment … Read more
Counting the Days
Finding a Balance
Strike First (2006)
Sometimes I make mistakes. When I was in kindergarten I crossed in the middle of the street and was promptly hit by car. In the fifth grade I decided to ride my brakeless bike down the steepest hill in my home town. I made it about halfway down. When I was a senior I skipped my girlfriend's piano recital to … Read more
Crack Cloud
Tough Baby
Meat Machine (2022)
Vancouver collective Crack Cloud burst onto the scene in 2018 with two independently released EPs- followed up by their first full length album, Pain Olympics, in 2020. The multimedia collective features an ever changing line up of musicians, filmmakers, designers and artists. Originally formed by Zach Choy (lead vocals, drums) and Mohammed Ali Sharar (keyboards) as an outlet for their … Read more
Cradle Of Filth
Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
Peaceville (2011)
Most people already have a clear opinion of Cradle Of Filth. Generally speaking the band are rather polarizing and have done little over time to change that fact. While some opinions may be unfounded, the band also do much to make the most of their fanbase. The band plays a very dramatized style of what could almost be called Orchestral … Read more
Craig Finn
Clear Heart/Full Eyes
Vagrant (2012)
Clear Heart Full Eyes starts off curiously. Sure, “Apollo Bay” establishes that Finn’s solo debut is a separate project compared with The Hold Steady, but it’s also a minimal and boring song—among the worst and most forgettable on the record. He speaksings over a wandering guitar with some occasional slide that ultimately gets repetitive: something I won’t say about the … Read more
Craig Taylor-Broad
For the Organs
Independent (2015)
Without doubt, one of my favorite musical discoveries of the past few years has been British singer-songwriter Craig Taylor-Broad. After first unleashing an (apparently, now deleted) EP under the name of the noises we make we no one is around in mid-2014, Taylor-Broad has continued a string of undeniably difficult yet definitively fascinating work – 2014's three-track Suicide Song EP … Read more
Crayven
Colosseum
Independent (2007)
Some of the most memorable albums were created in the strangest fashion, The Doors' L.A. Woman comes to mind. Although not exactly a legendary album, the same goes for Crayven's debut EP Colosseum. Guitar and bass were recorded straight to the computer, vocals in the studio of a local radio station and the drums into a mic before going into … Read more
Creature Feature
The Greatest Show Unearthed
Sumerian (2007)
When reviewing an album, it can be difficult to summarize thoughts and feeling elicited from the music you're listening to, to organize these thoughts and feelings in written prose succinctly, honestly, and, above all, professionally. Using these guidelines as my template, I can say with all sincerity, fuck me running, this group is terrible. Creature Feature is the "brain"child of … Read more
Creatures
Vesuvius
Twelve Gauge (2012)
Creatures have made a name fo9r themselves over the past few years playing a style of metalcore that bears a resemblance to the Holy Terror style. So the basics here are heavy with a strong leaning towards metal riffing and an obvious inclination towards evil. The band seemed rather silent after releasing their Salvation EP last year. With a few … Read more
Cremation Lily
2
Strange Rules (2011)
Bear with me here as I am in the middle of sonically orgasming while listening to this tape from Cremation Lily (the aptly titled 2 as this is the second tape from this project); no seriously, I am not overly hyperbolizing right now because these sounds literally elicit this kind of intense and powerful emotional response while the tape plays … Read more
Cremation Lily
Dreams Drenched In Static
Flenser (2022)
It has been quite a journey for Zen Zsigo and Cremation Lily, a path defined by constant flux. It was back in the early ‘10s, that the initial demos of the project appeared. Back then it was all about textural harshness, with Zsigo pushing the power electronics ethos. The initial chaos would subside, and from there on Cremation Lily explored … Read more
Cremation Lily
Sexless Merit
Strange Rules (2011)
Sexless Merit is a release that I have been fixating on for some time (listening to all three tapes over and over again, much to the annoyance of some people that may or may not live in my house anymore) all the while enjoying every minute but not quite having anything to say about the six pieces that inhabit these … Read more
Cremation Lily
Untitled
Strange Rules (2011)
Bar none, I have never heard a more wondrous take on the violence of Power Electronics than the Untitled (which came in an extremely limited cassette run from the label Strange Rules) debut from Cremation Lily (a mysterious act from the British Isles). Without getting into the reasons or “how to’s” or “what for’s” of my finding this tape, suffice … Read more
Crevecoeur
II
Denovali (2008)
Crevecoeur are a French three-piece outfit which play a style of music that brings to mind the expansiveness of soundtracks. These nine songs comprise the group's second album since their formation as a duo in 2003 and first for Denovali Records. Considering that I have no previous exposure to the band, an admission to being roped in by their comparison … Read more
Criaturas
Aranas en el Corazon
Lengua Armada Discos (2011)
Austin, TX—wich recently shed its longstanding slogan “The Live Music Capital of the World” in favor of the less desirable “The Place Where Ben Weasel Punched That Chick”—is home to a relatively new five piece hardcore band called Criaturas. As is usually the case with incestuous genres such as punk, Criaturas shares its members with other bands—an impressive pool that … Read more
Crime Desire
Crime Desire
Life Is A Rape (2008)
The singer of Crime Desire is dead ringer for Rasaraja/Robert Fish of 108/Judas Factor fame. So I can't help to think that Crime Desire is either a Krishna band or some post hardcore unit from the Revelation catalog in the early part of this decade. I probably couldn't be more wrong. Musically Crime Desire reminds of those type of bands … Read more
Crime Desire
Id Music to Combat the Superego
Life Is A Rape (2006)
When no one's chomping at the bit, hardcore can easily turn into comfort food. Sing-alongs, breakdowns and carefully placed "go!"s can become a security blanket. This has its place, but hardcore is often best when bands eschew the easy outs of well-worn forms and stake out fresh ground. Bands like Crime Desire are what keep the wheels turning by breaking … Read more
Crime in Choir
Trumpery Metier
GSL (2006)
Remember the days when you and your buddies would get together in your mom's basement to play Dungeons & Dragons? You'd clear the table of Radical Software magazines, set your game up and to make everything perfect you'd put on some King Crimson, Yes, or Goblin records. Don't remember those days? Well that is because you are a twenty-something year … Read more
