Review / 200 Words Or Less
Steve Kilbey
Painkiller

Second Motion (2009) — Sean K.

Steve Kilbey – Painkiller cover artwork
Steve Kilbey – Painkiller — Second Motion, 2009

The first solo record from The Church frontman in seven years, Kilbey handles all the instruments here except drums. Thankfully it does not sound like a Paul McCartney record. Tim Powles, drummer from The Church covers the sticks and production duties. But there's still a strong guitar presence on this one. "Outbound" features a flowing bassline, while 'Wolfe" seems to be describing a folklore story. "File Under Travel" is probably my favorite track on this release, just because it is so out there, in a groovy Syd Barrett way to be exact. The only misstep is the thirty-one minute last song, "Not What You Say." It's about fifteen minutes too long and I'm not entirely unconvinced it's not a recording of hits from the bong (disguised as bubbles.) But other than that, this is a dense sonic landscape that will not need any added medications to appreciate.

7.5 / 10 — Sean K. • June 30, 2009

Steve Kilbey – Painkiller cover artwork
Steve Kilbey – Painkiller — Second Motion, 2009

Recently-posted album reviews

Contention

Nuclear Summer
Daze (2026)

Contention, I would argue, has spent the last few years at or near the top of the heap of the return to 90's styled Straight Edge Metalcore. I am being specific because there is no mistaking Contention's influences nor their message. This is a STRAIGHT EDGE band that is far more indebted to Morning Again that anything that uses a … Read more

A Secret Revealed

The Ruin I Summoned Forth
Lifeforce (2026)

There are albums that use heaviness as an assault and others that use it to create an atmosphere. On The Ruin I Summoned Forth, A Secret Revealed manage to does both. The German quintet’s fourth full-length is an enormous, bleak piece of post-metal, but calling it post-metal only gets you part of the way there. Black metal cuts through its … Read more

Time Spent Driving

Lost Leaves
Thirty Something Records (2026)

There's a particular challenge facing bands that came out of the late '90s and early '00s emo scene. You can recreate the sound people remember and risk becoming your own nostalgia act, or you can abandon it entirely and risk losing whatever made the band matter in the first place. Time Spent Driving choose neither on Lost Leaves. More than … Read more