Send More Paramedics
The Final Feast
Independent (2021)
When Send More Paramedics announced a brief reformation to play a handful of shows celebrating 20 years of reanimation no one expected them to chuck out a brand new 9-track album but they surprised us all by doing just so. The Final Feast is their first studio album release in 15 years, the last being The Awakening (2006). Listening to … Read more
Senmuth
Bar-Do Thos-Grol
Independent (2012)
After writing ethnic music for over half a decade at this point (over the span of one hundred and forty-three individual studio albums), it's no surprise that Russian musician/history buff/general crazy man Senmuth has gotten rather good at it. Bar-Do Thos-Grol, his most recent foray into dark ambient music, shows off just how proficient he's become at it. The album … Read more
Senmuth
Hagwalah
Independent (2012)
Russian rocker Senmuth is known for his very overt fetish for all things Near Eastern. All you have to do is look at his website, and you'll see it's filled to the brim with pictures of him in Egypt, as well as the vast quantities of music and artwork that interest has inspired. But then, amongst all of that, there … Read more
Sequoia
Time to Change
Independent (2007)
The metropolis of Chicago, IL is home to many many artists. While listening to Sequoia, I found their sound to be somewhat fitting, but at the same time I could pick up influences that could easily place them elsewhere. Time to Change is the band's second full-length and features ten songs at just over thirty minutes of music. The opening … Read more
Sewer Urchin
Global Urination
Independent (2025)
There’s a fine line between crossover thrash that feels dangerous and crossover thrash that just feels like a party. Global Urination doesn’t bother choosing because it does both loudly and without apology. St. Louis’ Sewer Urchin have been grinding since 2019, and on their latest full length they double down on everything that makes the genre work. They give us … Read more
Shambles
Self Titled
Independent (2012)
Shambles is a pop-punk band from Boston, with a love for melody, circle pits and post ironic song titles. On the surface, they seem to be a fairly generic pop-punk band and I won’t completely dismiss that but there’s a lot of great aspects to this self-released EP. The best thing about this album is the honestly that really comes … Read more
Shellshag
FUTQ
Independent (2020)
Shellshag, a duo from Brooklyn, play a unique style of fuzzy stoner punk. Live, Shell and Shag play drums and guitar, standing face-to-face and sharing a Y-shaped microphone stand (pictured on the album cover). It’s personal -- just look at the name – and feels alternately intimate, yet communal -- it has that impossible-to-define punk spirit that involves the audience … Read more
Shevils
Miracle Of The Sun
Independent (2021)
Once upon a time I picked an album to review based on its cover art. It was an album by a Norwegian band called Shevils. That artwork was completely bonkers with Cthulhu dressed as a cowboy riding a manta ray and much, much more. This was back in 2013. I liked that album so much it made my yearlist. In … Read more
Siblings Of Samhain
Tales of Love, Death and the Macabre
Independent (2022)
UK horrorpunks Siblings Of Samhain offer us up album number three just in time for the spooky season! Tales of Love, Death and the Macabre is 12 tracks of dark, creepy yet incredibly catchy punk rock dedicated to a plethora of gore-tastic blood soaked horror themes. From the first track "Bury Me" you are immersed in the sing-a-long chorus and … Read more
Silent Island
The Curse of Coleodeia
Independent (2020)
Hungarian musician Csarnogurszky István is quite prolific, helming Black Hill, musicformessier, Realm of Wolves, Stvannyr, and of course Silent Island. His most recent release is The Curse of Coleodeia under Silent Island. As it can be often witnessed with prolific bands and/or musicians, the output may tend to suffer in quality due to the quantity in which it comes about. … Read more
Skeletons with Flesh on Them
All the Other Animals
Independent (2009)
"I'm about to sell five copies of All the Other Animals by Skeletons with Flesh on Them." I can totally picture some chap that works at an independent record store in the Pacific Northwest reinventing the famous scene from High Fidelity in this manner - likely his favorite film - to 'suade customers into purchasing this album. And if said … Read more
Skeletons with Flesh on Them
The Fish Don't Mind
Independent (2007)
Some bands just have cool names. Skeletons with Flesh on Them, an indie rock band from Seattle, are one of them. This four-piece indie/rock group show obvious signs of influence from the pioneering and currently established bands of their neck of the woods - Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Roy, etc. - on their debut EP, The Fish Don't Mind. … Read more
Skin Like Iron
Demo
Independent (2007)
Most demos you hear today can be put into two categories. The first is a bunch of fifteen year old kids recording painfully generic hardcore/metalcore in their parents' garage with terrible sound quality coming from Nowheretown, USA, desperately looking for your Myspace add. The second is usually a lineup littered with current and ex-members of prominent older bands and the … Read more
Skin Like Iron
Skin Like Iron
Independent (2008)
I can't help but wonder what the music world would be like without experimentation. Sure, the first to try something different is often shunned, but their willingness to try something different is what makes them so great. While perhaps not a genre-defining move, the direction that Skin Like Iron have taken with their music is one breath of fresh air … Read more
Skindraft
Demos
Independent (2007)
Skindraft's compilation of previous and new demos oddly titled Demos is a very telling slice of a young, new band finding their way in the world. Hailing from Ireland, these four lads have shown growth since the release of their first demo in 2004. Two and a half years later, they still wear their influences on their sleeve as evidenced … Read more
Slingshot Dakota
Their Dreams are Dead, but Ours is the Golden Ghost
Independent (2008)
A few years ago I went to one of those parties that a lot of us have attended. There was plenty of PBR flowing and occupants had their fair share of scarves on. Yes, it was a hipster party and I was miserable. The girls there were all too young for me to bother hitting on and all the guys … Read more
Smoke & Mirrors
Flash Thunder
Independent (2008)
Erie hardcore. Ninety-nine out of a hundred of you instantly thought of either Brother's Keeper or xDisciplex AD. While these two groups have since fallen by the wayside, there is still life in the ol' Lake Effect scene. Groups like Jesus Wept, War of Ages, Hank Jones, and Taste the Steel have all made names for themselves and their city … Read more
Smudged
Demo 2005
Independent (2006)
Every so often you end up with a friend's bands demo in your hands and most of the time, let's be fair, you are just at the shows and buying the demos and merch to help support your friends. Most of the time you have to admit that there is a hint of jealousy at the fact that it's them, … Read more
