Recent reviews

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)

Pembroke

All The Brightest Pictures
HANDSTAND RECORDS (2022)

Let's say this is my first assignment at Scene Point Blank and this time I'll do a review for a hardcore punk album. It's an album by Pembroke entitled All The Brightest Pictures. Well, it's a quite rare thing for me to review hardcore punk records these days but at least I was an intense listener of this kind of music. One of the interesting points on the assignment is that Pembroke is made up of members of bands like Supertouch, Off Minor, and Saetia. Yes, Saetia got my attention for digging more into the band. The album All The Brightest Pictures is an initial record by the band released on a Virginia-based record label, Handstand Records. And I would say it's a record that needs a lot of "repair" from so many aspects. The band features a different kind of approach in songwriting but still, in my opinion, some parts featured need to be improved. And then its recording quality also becomes one of the aspects that need improvements. Many parts of the guitarwork don't sound very detailed, leading to voids on the lead guitar that needs to get filled in. Let's start with the first track, entitled "I'll … Read more

Book Review

Boogeyman and Edward Kearns

The Devil's Song
Independent (2022)

The Devil's Song is the accompanying book to Boogeyman's self titled debut album; you can check out the album review … Read more

Book Review

Nick Cave

The Complete Lyrics 1978–2022
Penguin Publishing (2022)

The staying power of music is partly due to how timeless the lyrics are as they capture confused or illicit … Read more

Stuttr

Stuck in the Muck
Early Onset Records (2022)

It seems like a knock, doesn’t it, when you say that a rhythm section carries a band. It seems like … Read more

Won't Stay Dead

Purgatory
Don't Panic Records & Distribution (2021)

Four piece horror themed punk band Won't Stay Dead from Chicago, Illinois formed in 2017. After independently releasing two five-track … Read more

Stop Talking

Consequences Can Be A M.F.
Scat Boy Records (2022)

You know how every band is a skate punk band? Every band now, right now in 2022, is a skate … Read more

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One from the archives

AFI

Crash Love
Interscope (2009)

Album number eight from the band now renowned for their genre-shifting and reinvention. Three years in the making, three producers in the studio, and twelve tracks long (given the band's penchant for Lost-esque symbolism, there's probably some deep significance to these numbers). What new style will be unveiled with Crash Love? Nothing too thrilling, is the answer. Opener "Torch Song" is anthemic enough, particularly in its haunting choral refrain, but its sleek maneuvering can't quite give it the epic feel of older cuts like "Wester" or "6 to 8," or even Sing the Sorrow's "This Time Imperfect." Frontman Davey Havok's vocals are passionate but not as powerful as older outings, with the screaming of 2006's Decemberunderground notably missing. Tonally, the guitars veer a little too close to that radio rock … Read more

More album reviews

Ken Mode

Null
Artoffact (2022)

KEN Mode have always favored a dark and oppressive path for their extreme music aspirations. From their early days up to the release of the seminal Entrench, the act from Winnipeg, Canada has not held anything back. In 2013 it would be difficult to imagine how KEN Mode could surpass their seminal works. The release of Success in 2015 felt … Read more

Dead Cross

II
Ipecac (2022)

Dead Cross consists of only four members. Vocalist Mike Patton, bassist Justin Pearson, guitarist Michael Crain and drummer Dave Lombardo. Between these four gentlemen, I could list the other bands they currently play in and meet my word count quota in less than five minutes. Suffice to say, these are not guys to rest on their laurels and the literal … Read more

Fields Of Regret

Fields Of Regret
Bassick (2022)

Fields Of Regret is the brainchild of musician Filip Van Lysebeth, a producer based in Belgium. This self titled five track EP, released through Bassick Records on November 18th 2022, unveils Fields Of Regret's blend of horror fuelled gothic and industrial metal crossed with punk rock and a carnival style theme. In a statement from Bassick Records the EP is … Read more

Graduation Speech

Controlled Burn
Jetsam-Flotsam (2022)

I mostly enjoy acoustic albums during my cruising time to work by bike. I can't explain what makes the acoustic sounds special when you listen to it in the morning. Maybe I'm a typical kind of guy who is slow to wake up and acoustic tunes are perfect to build up my mood. Graduation Speech is a moniker project initiated … Read more

Robby Bloodshed

Dripping Red
Independent (2022)

Robby Bloodshed is a musician from New Jersey and has been recording since 2010. With five EP's, seven albums and a number of singles to his name, Dripping Red is his eighth album to date. The digital and CD release has seven tracks which include covers of "The Crystal Ship" by The Doors and "Growing Up and I'm Fine" by … Read more

Dr. Acula

Dr. Acula
Silent Pendulum Records (2022)

First of all, I can’t believe Dr. Acula is back! When I saw the promo from Silent Pendulum that there’s a new album on the way, I had to triple check and listen to the single a couple of times. It still took a while for the reality to sink in and I’m not going to lie, I had some … Read more

Drakulas

Drunk Dial #10
Drunk Dial Records (2022)

My first thought on seeing that Drakulas cover The Jim Carroll Band on this was, “Huh, that’s a weird choice.” But about 10-seconds in, everything clicks. You see, Drakulas is a concept band, set in a dystopian, Warriors-esque world of broken streetlights, shenanigans, violence and smut. And, well, let’s just say that 1970s New York inspired a lot of that … Read more

More Kicks

Punch Drunk
Dirtnap (2022)

I was thrown the first time I listened to this. I came in blind, expecting “the Dirtnap sound.” But what matters isn’t the brand, it’s if the music is good, so it’s a silly bias to begin with. It also took me a few listens before I realized that the files I was sent weren’t tagged right, so I was … Read more

VoidOath

Ascension Beyond Kokytus
Cognitive Discordance Records, Cursed Monk Records (2022)

Four piece doom/sludge/death metal outfit VoidOath crawled their way up from the nether realms of San Jose, Costa Rica in 2018. In May 2020 they released a three track EP entitled Illumination Through Necromancy, a 30 minute taster preparing us for the abysmal horror doom of this debut full length album Ascension Beyond Kokytus. Kokytus translates (by the power of … Read more

Ann Beretta

Rise
Bully Me Now (2022)

I've been sitting on this record since it came out, and I wasn't sure exactly where I was with it until now. I really wanted to love this record, but my musical taste is that of a 47 yr old guy who has listened to so much music and been in so many bands, that I was afraid the review … Read more

Night Jobs

Never Happener EP
Independent (2022)

I was introduced to Night Jobs with The Shape of Bummers To Come tape. I liked it overall, but I did feel there was room from growth. I mean, there always is…but I digress. The band is back in 2022 with the new 7”, Never Happener, featuring four new songs. And I do hear that “growth.” Sure, Night Jobs play … Read more

Laraigne

The Brightside Of It All
Snappy Little Numbers (2022)

Oh, Canada! Hailing from Geneva and now back and forth between Toronto and the beautiful city of Montreal, Greg Laraigne weaves well-crafted stories into a tapestry of lore and social commentary. The album apparently was ten years in the making while he also perfected his trade as a well-respected man in the field of tattooing. Easy comparisons are made to … Read more

BRASS

Look On The Bright Side
Early Onset Records (2022)

I can’t help but internally groan when a group is described as a ‘live band’. The phrase is pinned onto many a few semi-famous local bands who are known more for their on stage antics than their musical chops. A ‘live band’ stands in direct opposition of an ‘album band’ who do asinine things like practice and tune their instruments. … Read more

Raging Nathans

Still Spitting Blood
Rad Girlfriend Records (2022)

The Raging Nathans owe a lot of their sound to the ‘90s punk scene. One thing they don’t take after, though, is that need to put out an album of 15+ tracks. Still Spitting Blood comes just one year after Waste My Heart and it’s only 10-songs and 20-minutes in length. The quantity is probably there, but the band is … Read more

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