Recent reviews

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

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

Spells

Loose Change, Vol. 2
Big Neck Records, Keep It a Secret Records, Motorcycle Potluck Records, Shield Recordings, Snappy Little Numbers (2023)

If you haven’t seen SPELLS live you’re missing out. It’s a high energy, one-of-a-kind experience -- probably even if you don’t dig the music. Fortunately, I’m into their hook-driven sound that I’ll loosely call pop-structured punk. It gets in your head quickly, but it exactly ain’t crisp and pretty. Sure, the lyrics are often a little light-hearted, but with deeper meaning that isn’t always happy. The band explores the ups-and-downs of life from a happy place, leaving you with a smile on your face without coming across as a jokey novelty band. Think anthemic music without the spike-laden dress code. The tone is understated, everyfolk rock ‘n’ roll to get you moving, regardless what subscene you may or may not gravitate toward. If the name didn’t already give it away, Loose Change, Vol. 2 is a collection of smaller releases. SPELLS has a lots of singles, flexis, and the like. This LP puts 18 of those tracks together in one place. While it’s a compilation, it’s mostly cohesive over those 18 songs, likely in part because the band issues so many one-offs. It’s not a comp that covers two decades of development, so it feels pretty smooth. Common themes explore … Read more

Girls Like Us

Bitter 'Til The Bitter End
Independent (2023)

There’s the references with friends, right? The inside jokes. The glib comments only your inner circle knows to find funny. … Read more

The Telescopes

Of Tomorrow
Tapete Records (2023)

Tintinnabulation resounds through the astral planes pulsating waves of pleasure that wash over the mind's crevices. Electrical jolts of sensory … Read more

GraveRipper

Seasons Dreaming Death
Wise Blood Records (2023)

Indianapolis based black/thrash four piece GraveRipper formed in 2019 and have previously released three EP's , one being a split. … Read more

The Oxys

Generation Irrelevant
Dead Beat Records (2023)

Arms outstretched in the desperate hope of fulfilling dreams that had dissipated, longing for when life was simpler devoid of … Read more

The Crimson Ghosts

Forevermore
Ring Of Fire Records (2023)

Recently I admitted I am a fan of more conservative horrorpunk. It might come as no surprise that I am … Read more

Browse our review archives

Reviews by year

Choose a year to view reviews of albums released in that year.

Reviews by artist name

Choose a letter to view reviews ordered by that letter (band name first).

Review categories

200 Words Or Less

750 reviews

Book Review

42 reviews

Classic Album

25 reviews

Multiple Authors

300 reviews

Review

4920 reviews

Video/DVD Review

19 reviews

One from the archives

Downtown Struts

Victoria!
Pirates Press (2012)

Pop-punk, Americana infused rock 'n' roll isn't really something I'd usually find myself listening to, but occasionally it's quite nice to break free of the norm and invest your time in something a little different. Downtown Struts are one such investment, and it was very much time well spent. Riding the coattails of bands such as Against Me!, The Gaslight Anthem and the most important chap of all, The Boss - or Bruce Springsteen to his mum - this Chicago based band tow a nice line in fun-filled anthems and real narrative. Their songs are cut from the road and Downtown Struts are a group that spend much of their time touring, going from city to city and seeing their land for all it is. Victoria! takes in such a … Read more

More album reviews

What Goes Up

Laws of Gravity
Brassneck Records, Rad Girlfriend Records, Waterslide Records (2023)

Based on the name, pop-punk sounds like a limited genre. There are a million bands that sound like the Ramones. There are also a million copycats of that stuff that hit big in the early Aughts. But we aren’t going there… What Goes Up proves that you can make emotional, driving, yet poppy punk rock tunes that vary in sound … Read more

Meet Me @ The Altar

Past // Present // Future
Fueled By Ramen (2023)

Meet Me @ The Altar has been THE pop-punk trio pushing us to the edge of our seats in anticipation of their debut LP, Past // Present // Future. The trio’s aptly named album is not only breaking boundaries within the pop-punk realm, but it’s bridging the gap between nostalgia and the present-day scene. MM@TA explores pop-punk in a way … Read more

Bruise Control

Useless for Something
TNSrecords (2023)

Bruise Control is a new-ish punk band from Manchester. The band definitely checks off the boxes of the style, mixing it up quite a bit though over their nine-song debut full-length. The lead song, “Useless” has jangly garage rock tones meets punk aggression that builds over the two and a half minute song. While that lead tone makes an impression, … Read more

Diabol Boruta

Borutus Akustikus
Via Nocturna (2023)

Polish folk metal band, Diabol Boruta (or The Devil Of Borut), released this nine track acoustic album, Borutus Akustikus, through Via Nocturna Records in March this year. This is the bands fifth studio alum and is a selection of their songs performed acoustically with additional instruments and arrangements, featuring one previously unreleased track. Borutus Akustikus was created after the band … Read more

VNV Nation

Electric Sun
Anachron Sounds (2023)

Considering VNV Nation have been around for most of my life and are one of my favourite bands both on record and live, it’s weird to say that this is the first time I am writing some kind of review about them. Being more versed in the metal side of the musical sphere probably has something to do with it, … Read more

Viceprez

Tropical Connexion
Adagio830, Bigoût Records, Dispear Records, Don't Trust The Hype, Inhumano, Shove Records, Sonatine Produzioni (2023)

I like whisky tastings. Especially the ones I organize with my buddies. It is an ideal environment to catch up with them and share loads of small talk and silly humor. The second best thing about those tastings is that tasting more whisky’s you’ll be able to catch certain nuances I wouldn’t normally discover when tasting a single whisky. When … Read more

Origami Angel

The Brightest Days
Counter Intuitive Records (2023)

I’m not biased. Not really. I just don’t like it. It, being pop-punk. I’m just young enough that the initial wave of melodic, palm-muted, nasal voiced rock revival passed by while I was listening to Hannah Montana on my parent’s five disk stereo. However, I’m just old enough that I don’t find the modern-day nostalgic rehash all that impressive. There … Read more

The Penske File

Half Glow
Stomp Records (2023)

Take equal parts The Gaslight Anthem, Menzingers and blue-collar arena rock like Tom Petty or Springsteen, with a dash of The Clash, Dave Hause, and American Steel, and you’ll have some idea of what to expect with The Penske File’s latest, Half Glow. The results are often mixed for me when punk bands lean toward classic rock and introspection. I’m … Read more

Various Artists

Godspeed... A Tribute to Pierre Kezdy
Independent (2023)

It’s probably been 30 years since I heard my first tribute album and I’m not sure my opinion has changed. There are usually 1-2 really good covers, some mediocrity, and an unfocused tone. They’re often underwhelming, but the exceptions to this rule keep you coming back to the format. Fortunately, Godspeed is one of those exceptions. This record is from … Read more

Bloodletter

A Different Kind Of Hell
Wise Blood Records (2023)

Bloodletter are a four piece thrash metal outfit from Chicago, Illinois and are here to assault your ears in the best possible way with their new album, A Different Kind Of Hell. Formed in 2012 and performing highly toned and proficient thrash/speed metal with melodic undertones and solo's to die for. A Different Kind Of Hell is their third full … Read more

Los Morts

Slasherpunk
We Are Horror Records (2023)

When it comes to horrorpunk I am rather conservative. I usually appreciate bands more if they stay close to the template the Misfits created. My favorite bands in the genre took that template and made it their own, but stayed close to the original. This requires great skill: don’t stray to far from the path to loose me, but also … Read more

Parker

Never Let This Go
Independent (2023)

I like poppy punk: melodies, singalongs, all that predictable stuff. But I also like it rough around the edges, not the super clean production style of Ramonescore or whatever that garbage from the early 2000s that’s on the nostalgia train right now is. So I choose my words carefully because it seems pop-punk means different things to different people. And … Read more

Rancid

Tomorrow Never Comes
Epitaph (2023)

Other write-ups I see of Tomorrow Never Comes are basically calling this Rancid V, Part 2. The cover art looks a bit like the back of that album, actually. And while there is some merit to the comparison, I think that description is misleading. This record absolutely shares that style of short, repetitive, and angry punk songs but it has … Read more

Robby Bloodshed vs Voice Of Doom

Robby Bloodshed vs Voice Of Doom
We Are Horror Records (2023)

This four track EP is a collaboration of New Jersey's finest as seasoned punk/metal artistes Voice Of Doom and youngblood Robby Bloodshed battle it out to cover classic Misfits songs and then each others songs. Let the horrorpunk battle of the year so far, commence!! Starting off with a sample from the 1938 radio adaptation of H.G Wells's War Of … Read more

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