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Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

Black Shape Of Nexus

Negative Black
Exile on Mainstream (2012)

Wanting to hear more of Black Shape Of Nexus following their split with Kodiak a couple of years back led me to the intense Negative Black, and while I am not well versed with all of the work from B.SON (an acronym of sorts for the band), this album feels like a somewhat departure at least from what has come across my path from them (again, only a single track from a split).One thing is I am certain of is that Black Shape Of Nexus turns out one of the most writhing morasses of noisy chaos from the old continent that has graced these ears in a while; somehow the collective of B.SON harnesses all the best aspects of noise, doom, and hardcore punk and forces it into a nasty batch of songs that all want to wipe that smile off of all of our faces whenever we listen to this record. “Illinois” feels like the musical element that ties Negative Black back to what I had heard previously (a bridge if you will) before diving headlong into the doomed out hardcore punk grooves of “400H” and “500WV”, but all three of these feel like a big set up for … Read more

Infera Bruo

Desolate Unknown
Independent (2013)

Calling your band “hellish noise” sets the bar pretty high to start with. Fortunately Infera Bruo live up to that … Read more

Mans' Gin

Rebellion Hymns
Profound Lore (2013)

Led by multi-instrumentalist Erik Wunder (also of Cobalt,) Man’s Gin are releasing the follow up to their debut album (Smiling … Read more

Scale The Summit

The Migration
Prosthetic (2013)

To understand why Scale the Summit's newest release The Migration is so fascinating, you first need a bit of background:Scale … Read more

Portugal. The Man

Evil Friends
Atlantic (2013)

Portugal. The Man thrives in a music scene often reluctant of drastic change in a band's sound. Meanwhile, the Alaskan … Read more

Dessa

Parts Of Speech
Doomtree (2013)

A while back, I asked a friend of mine to introduce me to some new music. I was feeling burnt … Read more

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One from the archives

The Fall of Troy

Doppelganger
Equal Vision (2005)

'The Fall of Troy is everything you wish your band could be - younger, faster, louder, and well'better looking. These are the facts, but don't let it get you down. You're a snowflake, unique in your own way.' This is taken from the Equal Vision Records website. With a press release like the above, a band is sure to have female (and male) fans swooning. Let's face it The Fall of Troy is that much better looking then us regular folk. In today's pop culture climate this statement alone is enough justification for impressionable teens to buy into regurgitated riffs, stop and start tech parts, and repetitive harmonies. That is what The Fall of Troy brings to the table on there second full-length and Equal Vision debut, Doppelganger. It's not … Read more

More album reviews

Alice In Chains

The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
Capitol (2013)

I'll admit, I'm a bit of a purist; though I didn't think it was a bad release, Black Gives Way to Blue always seemed to pale in comparison to Alice in Chains's earlier works. On some level, that's not entirely fair--without Staley, they are an entirely different band, and not necessarily even trying to recapture who they were before. But … Read more

Lesbian

Forestelevsion
Translation Loss (2013)

Talk about false advertising. As far as I can tell, the self-described "PsychoProgDoom" band Lesbian is based out of Seattle, not the Aegean island. Putting geographic misrepresentation aside, their latest album Forestelevision is truly a monster to behold.If you couldn't gather from their self description, Lesbian are a notoriously difficult band to pigeonhole. They have the psychedelic guitars straight out … Read more

Horna

Askel lähempänä Saatanaa
World Terror Committee (2013)

Replacing a vocalist is always a huge ordeal and turning point for a band, particularly when needing to do to it for a third time as Horna found themselves in the process of during 2009 when Corvus left his duties at the mic stand behind to concentrate on his other projects. This Finnish group have been at the forefront of … Read more

Dave Hause

C'Mon Kid EP
Sabot Productions (2012)

We’re close to the end of Dave Hause’s 7-inch series. The fourth in the series comes from Sabot Productions. Hause decided to tackle his friends in None More Black and a more predictable Lucero track. Let's see how it went.First of the originals. “C’mon Kid” was turned into a piano ballad. It’s a beautiful one at that, but it’s probably … Read more

Mothlite

Dark Age
Kscope (2012)

Mothlite's Daniel O'Sullivan has spent his time away from his personal project collaborating with some of the world's most well known post-progressive acts. Ulver, Æthenor, Guapo and Grumbling Fur are but a few of the groups O'Sullivan has somehow found time to participate in but Mothlite is his completely and as such the second record from this project, Dark Age, … Read more

The Maine

Forever Halloween
Rude Records (2013)

Halloween can be an inspiring topic for musicians. The Misfits' "Halloween" evokes dark autumn evenings with snarling vocals and captivating riffs, while AFI's Misfits-influenced All Hallows EP is a punk-rock filled love letter to the holiday. The Maine's Forever Halloween takes a sombre look, presenting Halloween as an emotional state and not just a passing holiday.So far three singles have … Read more

Various Artists

Toys That Kill/Future Virgins - split
Drunken Sailor (2013)

Pairing Toys That Kill and Future Virgins in a single record, this Drunker Sailor 7” teams up bands that have released some of my favorite records of 2011 (Western Problems) and 2012 (Fambly 42). That’s a lot of quality, an intriguing pair-up and, honestly, a lot to live up to.Does the three song EP live up to expectations? More or … Read more

Modern Baseball

Sports
Run for Cover (2013)

There are a select few records in my collection that I can always count on to produce an unbridled sense of nostalgia. A classic to turn to when in need of some youthful energy, that little rush of euphoria when singing along with a favorite group-chorus, or that story to remind us of when life was much simpler. Emo and … Read more

Jasper TX

An Index Of Failure
Handmade Birds (2013)

I cannot explain how much I needed to listen to this right at this moment when my heart rate is racing and it feels as if my chest is going to explode, the calming feeling that the final recordings of Jasper TX are literally helping me to breath semi normally; An Index Of Failure is quite simply a pretty album … Read more

Purson

The Circle and the Blue Door
Metal Blade (2013)

Retro-lust is fucking brilliant. For the past years, unbelievable bands have shown their musical endeavors by wedding the psychedelia of the 60s with the heavier rock of the 70s. Artists such as Jex Thoth, The Devil’s Blood and Blood Ceremony are showing the way, to be quickly followed by dreamers of the same utopic principle. Bands such as Jess and … Read more

Kwaidan

Make All The Hell of Dark Metal Bright
Bathetic Records (2013)

One of the wisest moves you can make when your band lies within the ambient music scene is to construct a certain aura for it that will attract the prospective listener before he even hears a single note from your band; the easiest way to attract attention comes from the very name of the band. Ande Foisy (of Locrian,) Mike … Read more

I Am Kloot

Let It All In
Shepherd Moon (2013)

Truly happy yet honest albums are in short supply. If they’re happy they’re usually over-the-top and use cringe-worthy lyrics, but if the album’s songs are bathed in sadness then there’s a risk that it will sound whiny and dull. On Let It All In I Am Kloot have struck a beautiful balance; the album can be best described as giving … Read more

Locrian

Return To Annihilation
Relapse (2013)

Holy mother of god I was clearly not ready for Return To Annihilation from Locrian, and I guarantee that “Eternal Return” will do the same to you; now, my reaction has more to do with the shockingly uplifting sound and mood that the song seems destined to pop on people as they press play for the first time than the … Read more

Plow United

Marching Band
Jump Start (2013)

After a run from 1992-1998, Plow United reformed in 2011 and they return with new material in the form of Marching Band (Jump Start Records). Plow United hasn’t just re-formed, they’ve written the best 1990s record of the 2010s. Brian McKee’s voice has matured with the years and the songs are tighter and more polished than their early output. Some … Read more

Reviews by score
Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)