Endless Mike and the Beagle Club
St. Paul
A-F (2016)
Endless Mike and the Beagle Club are from Johnstown, PA (about an hour outside of my second home, Pittsburgh), and their album St. Paul (produced by Anti-Flag's Chris Baker, adding some Pittsburgh history) embodies the DIY PA punk aesthetic that I’ve come to love over the years. Around since 2003, the band is more or less lead-singer Mike Miller’s solo … Read more
Energy
Invasions of the Mind
Bridge Nine (2008)
Massachusetts' Energy is a band that showed great promise with the 2007 EP Punch the Clock. The band's fusion of the classic punk sounds of The Misfits and Ramones with that of more modern punk and hardcore outfits like A.F.I. and Ignite brought them a lot of attention. But with that initial success came high expectations that would be tough … Read more
Enforcers
End Of Time
A389 (2011)
Enforcers are a band out of Montreal. While the city has a long history of technical metal many forget about the hardcore scene that had been birthed there. The most notable bands include names such as A Death For Every Sin and Final Word. While these bands had their time and seemed overlooked by many, the members of the aforementioned … Read more
Engine Down
Engine Down
Lookout! (2004)
One of the most memorable experiences of my time in Chico was seeing Engine Down live. Their music isn't what you'd call "traditionally" heavy - no blast beats or smoldering guitar assaults to be found here - but that isn't to say Engine Down didn't rock hard live. I saw them after Demure came out, which contained some of their … Read more
Engineer
Reproach
Hex (2006)
Hot off the heels of their split with labelmates Achilles, Engineer serves up Reproach. This album was born from the varying manners of hardship and adversity that forced the band to hole up and dig in. The resulting months of being locked up together was spent hammering this record into submission through countless hours of writing, honing, practicing... All the … Read more
Engineer
The Dregs
Black Market Activities (2007)
The first time I saw Engineer was when they opened for fellow New Yorkers Another Breath. I had anticipated another youth crew styled band to be playing and I was absolutely astonished when they turned out the lights and performed the loudest set I'd ever seen. From then on I was a fan, no question. For those of you unfamiliar, … Read more
Enmeshed
The Egesal
Independent (2016)
There is very little information available about who Enmeshed is, other than that they are a four piece band, releasing their debut album The Egesal. With an interesting setup, including electroacoustic guitar, drums (alongside drum machines) and tenor electric guitar, they like to blend diverse sounds, within an overall experimental extreme doom setting. Their vision for The Egesal is quite … Read more
Ennio Morricone
Crime and Dissonance
Ipecac (2005)
This is a biased review. Fuck you, you don't know me. I refuse to review this on the same bell curve as your lame little emo band. Genius is genius, period. And now, the review...... There are few living composers spoken of with more reverence than Ennio Morricone. Arguably (don't argue) the most famous film composer since the birth of … Read more
Enola Grey
Cabal
Feeling Faint (2005)
Beginning a band is no easy task, there are many pressures involved with the entire process. Those pressures intensify when you're coming from a previous band that was considered to be fairly popular; it's a double-edged sword. You're pretty much ensured free exposure and publicity based on the fact that the new project gets the "ex-members of..." tagline. But with … Read more
Ensemble Economique
In Silhouette
Denovali (2017)
Brian Pyle, the individual behind Ensemble Economique, begun a crazy trip as a member of Starving Weirdos in the mid '00s. This insane musical duo, featuring Pyle alongside Merrick McKinlay, traversed the paths of rock and electronic music, applying deranged psychedelia, resulting in the impossibility of pigeonholing their musical endeavors. After the group disbanded, Pyle was left unsatisfied with the … Read more
Ensemble Economique
Melt Into Nothing
Denovali (2014)
I became familiar with Ensemble Economique back in 2010 when they released their album Psychical, with Bryan Pyle (formerly of Starving Weirdos) combining world music with a very intriguing soundtrack type of feeling. Even though the original incarnation of the band with their fascinating influences was monumental, Ensemble Economique has crossed into darker territories. Pyle has reduced this act to … Read more
Enslaved
RIITIIR
Nuclear Blast (2012)
the black metal horde Enslaved seems to have been around forever. Unlike most bands of their genre and pedigree they have managed to add elements to their style to make themselves more their own band with each release. Each album has flirted with their Pink Floyd fascination while stripping away the unneeded kvlt aspects of the band's sound. For most … Read more
Enslaved
Utgard
Nuclear Blast (2020)
Experiencing a band grow and evolve is one of the most rewarding parts of being invested in music and for Enslaved, their fanbase has been given plenty of opportunities to be in awe of just how progressive and inventive the Norwegian's have been since their inception almost thirty years ago. The core of the band - Grutle Kjellson and Ivar … Read more
Enthroned
Obsidium
Agonia (2012)
Belgian black metal veterans Enthroned offer up a new platter of palpable devastation with Obsidium. With this album they show the versatility that has carried them throughout their career. Obsidium will be revered amongst black metal purists, but easily approachable by those unfamiliar with the genre. Metalheads of all sorts will be coming together to bask in the darkness of … Read more
Envy
A Dead Sinking Story
Level Plane (2003)
There're plenty of bands in the world, but the ones that really stick out are the ones that leave you scratching your head, unsure of what you've heard, but a little bruised, beaten, and fulfilled because of it. Japan's Envy is one of those bands, a flurry of sound that differentiates only in extremes, from pummeling assaults to lush, gorgeous … Read more
Envy
Abyssal
Temporary Residence (2008)
Seriously, I think that I am still atoning for not paying more attention to this Japanese band earlier. I mean that I had some of their records but never really felt that deeply about them one way or another (maybe subconsciously due to their singing in Japanese thus making it a bit difficult to connect to the music). Then I … Read more
Envy
All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead (Reissue)
Temporary Residence (2008)
Besides being a mouthful of a title, All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead is one of my favorite Envy records with its capture of the band's raw emotion and the sound of a band becoming more comfortable with themselves. This is a reissue that is a part of Temporary Residence's recent big Envy offering the … Read more
Envy
Compiled Fragments 1997-2003
Temporary Residence (2008)
So here it is, Temporary Residence Limited finally is releasing this record stateside negating the need (if you happen to be a hopelessly addicted completist like I myself happen to be) to pay import or international shipping fees to acquire an elusive entry into the Envy oeuvre. Compiled Fragments 1997-2003 is a "singles collection" or more accurately a collection of … Read more
