Formed in Tokyo in 2002, Crystal Lake have spent more than two decades shaping their own high-velocity hybrid of metalcore, hardcore, and atmospheric chaos. Few bands of their era survived the genre’s shifts with their identity intact, and even fewer survived a complete vocalist change. But instead of slowing down, Crystal Lake sharpened. Now fronted by John Robert Centorrino, the band enters a new era with The Weight of Sound. It’s their most ambitious, collaborative, and emotionally charged record to date. This isn’t just a comeback. It’s a rebuilding, a reimagining, and a reaffirmation of everything that made the band dangerous in the first place. From the first few seconds, it’s obvious Crystal Lake aren’t chasing their past, but detonating it. The opening track hits with the kind of precision that only comes from a band who has lived on stages for two decades. Riffs land like collapsing structures, the drums fire with mechanical urgency, and John’s vocals tear through the mix with a conviction that feels like someone grabbing the reins of a legacy and refusing to let it slip. For me, the top three tracks that stand out on this offering are “Don’t Breathe”, “Crossing Nails”, and “BludGod”. … Read more
I knew of Tired Radio, but I didn't really know the band's work. When Red Scare announced they'd signed the … Read more
Interesting little slab we got sent to SPB by a Mr. Ed Young. Two originals and a cover, recorded in … Read more
Split records have always worked best when they feel intentional rather than convenient, and Bombs Away! lands firmly in the … Read more
Sarasota, Florida’s Floating Boy have been grinding for seven years, quietly shaping themselves into a band that lives and breathes … Read more
I've reviewed a lot of Brokedowns records over the years. First, I'll say I love the band and I honestly … Read more
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What much can I really say? This style has been done numerous times. The Creeps play infectious, upbeat punk, born of the Ramones and sculpted by Screeching Weasel. Somewhere in the genre's history, bands like the Groovie Ghoulies shifted the concept from straightforward silliness towards specific niches. The Creeps carry that torch onward. On These Walls The Creeps play their music well, with the harmonies running together smoothly at appropriate times, and there's enough variation between the five songs here that it doesn't sound like the needle is stuck, despite the lone beat that permeates the record. When things start getting samey, singer Skottie Lobotomy throws in a Glenn Danzig style "whoa-oh" to break it up. I'm amazed it still works after all these years, but it gets me singing … Read more
When I started my end of year list this year I asked my pal Joel from Portland’s Dumpies to share his best of 2025 playlist with me. Several songs caught my attention which I, in turn, went and checked out the albums from which they had come. The one that has quickly climbed up my year end list over the … Read more
Deathcore is a genre that’s constantly threatening to eat itself alive. For every band trying to push boundaries, there are ten more content to recycle the same breakdowns, the same vocal gymnastics, the same studio-polished violence. Osiah, however, have never been interested in playing it safe and their latest EP Aion is proof that they’re still operating on a level … Read more
Ramleh is a cornerstone of the UK industrial and noise underground. Staring out in the early '80s, they are one of the pioneers of noise and power electronics alongside the likes of Whitehouse and Sutcliffe Jügend. But, beneath the havoc and the sonic debris, Ramleh always carried an emotional pulse. It is what separates their finest moment, Hole In The … Read more
Crippling Alcoholism have always navigated a delicate balance between musical depth and immediacy. A blend that few bands attempt, let alone master, but Crippling Alcoholism's two previous full-length records, When The Drugs That Make You Sick Are The Drugs That Make You Better and especially With Love From A Padded Room did exactly that. With a foundation formed through post-punk … Read more
There are no signs of slowing down for Australian jazz masters The Necks. Following the release of the excellent Bleed in 2024, the legendary trio makes a return with their 20th full-length record, Disquiet. Long-form compositions are nothing new for the trio, but here they dive headfirst into a three-hour tour de force, traversing the abstract and meditative territories they … Read more
Is The Eradicator a joke that's been going for 10 years (the band), or for 35 (the skit)? Does it matter? Well, only in the sense that I question how much material the Kids In The Hall-inspired hardcore band can cull from a 5-minute skit. (Maybe 10 minutes. The character was revived in 2022's Season 6.) Why do I bring … Read more
Standing between genres can act as a vantage point. For Prayer Group, sitting at the intersection between noise rock and hardcore has armed them with the necessary arsenal to propel their anger and frustration forward. And so, through a series of EPs and singles, this work culminated in their 2022 debut full-length, Michael Dose, where The Jesus Lizard methodology collided … Read more
For experimental rock artists torn between noise-rock abrasion and torturous drone immersion, one side usually wins. It is either a certain sentimental and ethereal quality or an oppressive noise dimension that prevails. But there are some acts that can balance between these worlds. Names like The Angelic Process, and of course Low exemplify this strange balance in different ways. A … Read more
I believe the first I heard of this album was when Wild Honey released the limited edition It’s All About The Music concept 7” EP back in July. Exclusively released for the Punk Rock Raduno festival, IAATM is a three song 7” but only sort of? The concept: one garage-rock anthem, three versions- one is slowed down, one is regular … Read more
Formed around the tight-knit chemistry of brothers Xavier and Vincent Morency with drummer John Muggianu, Canada’s Second Harbour are that rare modern post-hardcore band that sound equally comfortable bleeding and building. Their new four-song EP, Coalesce, marks both their SharpTone Records debut and their clearest creative statement yet. The title isn’t just poetic, it’s literal. This is where the band’s … Read more
Hailing from Wichita, Kansas, Stay The Course brings their brand of pop-punk/easycore onto the scene. This is the band’s second album and is being released courtesy of Punkerton Records out of Ohio. What started out as a 5-song EP, developed into a 10 song LP. The band re-recorded some of the material from their back catalog and added some new … Read more
Straight out of Boise’s unforgiving hardcore pipeline, the band Witness Chamber returns with Bronze Gates, their most suffocating and sharpened release yet. Seven tracks with zero breathing room. If you’ve followed the band since 2021’s Paradise Awaits EP or the 2023’s True Delusion, you already know they’ve never been subtle. However, this time the punishment feels sacramental. It’s straight edge … Read more
There's a song on Watch It Die called "Dancing With Anxiety," a title that wraps up Home Front's style quite well. Because I like to beat metaphors to a pulp, maybe also consider "Between The Waves" as another title that captures how they straddle the punk and new wave worlds. Home Front plays street punk with a lot of synth … Read more
Formed in the mid-2000s, PitchBlack have always been one of Danish metal’s most overlooked heavy hitters. A band is sitting between old-school melodeath grit and European thrash aggression, building a reputation on intensity instead of trends. They debuted with Designed to Dislike in 2007, followed it with The Devilty in 2011 (which landed them spots at Copenhell and Download UK), … Read more
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