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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)

Bringers Of Disease

Gospel Of Pestilence
Translation Loss (2011)

The ex members game is a precarious one to play. For every band that bares similarity to it's members past exploit there are just as many that don't bare that mark. So to tell you that Bringers Of Disease share members with Acheron and Mouth Of The Architect should only say a minimal amount as to what this band is about. They share some of the death metal based characteristics of Acheron but only slight bits of the post metal style that have gained Mouth Of The Architect the attention that they have. What the band does do, however, is play a very clean style of black metal. That is to say it lacks the underproduction of many newer black metal bands. While doing this very well the records own strong production does little to accentuate a darker atmosphere. No matter how strong the slightly more atmospheric pieces of the songs are they do little but give a reprieve and eventually get swallowed up by how heavy the songs really are. What the listener is presented with is a strong and well played album that lacks a certain desperation and darkness that is necessary for black metal regardless of how … Read more

Nightgaun

Absurdity Of Meaning
Primitive Future (2011)

There are a number of adjectives that would accurately describe Tempe, AZ’s Nightgaun—noisy, filthy, retching, etc.—but perhaps none more fitting … Read more

The Slow Death

Born Ugly, Got Worse
Kiss of Death (2011)

When The Soviettes’ Annie Sparrows voice starts Born Ugly, Got Worse devoid of instrumentation, it’s a crisp and honest delivery … Read more

Michael Yonkers with The Blind Shake

Period
S.S. (2011)

Michael Yonkers has a fascinating story: getting dropped by the majors, personal injury, and being rediscovered a generation later. That … Read more

Charts And Maps

Dead Horse
Lost Children (2011)

There is no easy way to define Charts and Maps' sound. My gut reaction is to throw the whole thing … Read more

Efrim Menuck

Plays "High Gospel"
Constellation (2011)

Thank goodness I have musical OCD. I likely would not have even known this album existed if not for my … Read more

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One from the archives

Postage

LP1
Dirt Cult (2021)

Most of the time when a review says something sounds familiar it’s meant as an insult. Well, Postage is a new band but it sounds familiar…in all the right ways. It strikes those comfortable, familiar tones of singalong punk. It’s influenced by the classics. And while it has these elements we know and love, it’s also just fresh enough that it really hits with me. The songs are structured around singalongs and vocal tradeoffs. In many ways the songwriting takes a street punk foundation, especially with the bass, and then rewrites the playbook by emphasizing emotion instead of anthem. It gets right into gear on opening track, “Paranoia,” balancing anger with more complex emotions, and keeps that tone for nine more songs. The tone is consistently upbeat and upfront, but … Read more

More album reviews

Iroha

End Of An Era
Denovali (2011)

Now this is exactly what I am talking about right here, bands sneaking releases out from under people’s noses in this day an age is a feat worthy of the sneakiest thieves and skilled hackers is a true feat; and while that is just what Iroha did with End Of An Era, the real important accomplishment for the three piece … Read more

Gateway District

Perfect's Gonna Fail
It's Alive (2011)

The Gateway District’s debut, Some Days You Get the Thunder hooked me immediately yet, to this day, I can’t single out a standout track or identify just what about it grabs me. I just like the record. The whole thing, not an iTunes cut here and there, as is wont these days. It’s with similar feelings I find myself listening … Read more

Condominium

Warm Home
Independent (2011)

The title of Twin Cities trio Condominium’s latest is quite misleading. Warm Home is not the record you put on for an evening in front of the fire place with hot chocolate and a novella. This is anything but comforting. Instead, imagine the following scenario: The clock strikes 2AM just as the pot cookie you ate between your first and … Read more

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

Self Titled
Sour Mash (2011)

In the past two years there has been some speculation about the Gallagher brothers. Even during their career as Oasis the speculation was there. Many questioned with all of their issues who was the real talent driving the band. Well this is the year that the question gets answered. With the release of This record as well as the Beady … Read more

Panopticon

Social Disservices
Flenser (2011)

Did you ever just get constantly impressed with the evolution that an artist or group of artists make through the progression of their work and craft? Panopticon certainly is making that type of impression on me at this particular juncture as the one man political black metal project drops one of the more politically acerbic records that I have heard … Read more

Doomtree

No Kings
Doomtree (2011)

It’s not hard to find something to say about Doomtree. The 7-headed monster has enough disparate characters that I could fill the proverbial pages here without even addressing No Kings, their second official full-length. The band recently made some internet waves with the mash-up Wugazi project—which is where I’ll start since the opening track, “No Way,” begins with a guitar … Read more

Rome

Die Æsthetik der Herrschaftsfreiheit
Trisol (2011)

Die Æsthetik der Herrschaftsfreiheit. A three disc journey into the hearts and minds of the oppressed. An album that has become more relevant to the happenings of this past year than band founder Jerome Reuter could possibly ever imagine. At it's core, it's a record of struggle and of overcoming the boundaries set by those in positions of power. Could … Read more

Steven Wilson

Grace For Drowning
Kscope (2011)

It's pretty easy to get inside Steven Wilson's head. It's abundantly clear from his works with Porcupine Tree that the man has a fetish for 1970s era progressive rock à la Pink Floyd, Yes and King Crimson. Sure, Porcupine Tree has also picked up influences from modern extreme metal, but nobody can deny that the roots of Steven Wilson's pet … Read more

Jimmy Cliff

Sacred Fire EP
Collective Sounds (2011)

Jimmy Cliff sounds pretty spry for a 63 year-old. The reggae legend is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (whatever that means) and holds England’s esteemed Order of Merit in addition to releasing several notable albums. Cliff hasn’t released a record since 2004’s Black Magic, but this teaser EP for a forthcoming 2012 LP raises the bar. The CD … Read more

Giant Squid

Cenotes
Translation Loss (2011)

Well, that was a short album. At only thirty-five minutes long, doom/sludge metal group Giant Squid have almost halved the runtime of their previous album, The Ichthyologist, for the release of their third studio album, Cenotes.But what does brevity matter, when the music is top quality? This album is every bit as weighty as the giant squi--er, creatures on the … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Various Artists

Junius-Rosetta
Translation Loss (2011)

Junius and Rosetta are two odd bands to select for a split. It's hard to imagine the sonic distortion of the band behind The Galilean Satellites matching up with a band as mellow (in comparison, anyway) as Junius.Their contribution, “A Dark Day With Night,” sounds eerily ethereal; the sweet nature of the writing feels almost at odds with the sorrowful … Read more

Cloudkicker

Loop
Independent (2011)

Following the release of Beacons in 2010, musician Ben Sharp began releasing a series of short, acoustic instrumental loops on his blog. At the time, they were nothing more than a set of enjoyable curios. They sounded like some of the earlier post-rock material he had released as B. M. Sharp before starting Cloudkicker in earnest, and they were far … Read more

Brainkiller

The Infiltration
RareNoise (2011)

I was actually quite excited when I heard the trio Brainkiller's new album, The Inflitration, described as a mix between jazz, prog, and psychedelic music. I listen to a fair amount of all of those genres, so I thought it shouldn't be a half-bad listen at all. I retrospect, I suppose I should have thought it over a bit more: … Read more

Between the Buried and Me

The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues
Metal Blade (2011)

It's hard to describe the nature of Between the Buried and Me's new project, The Parallax. It is kind of like a double album, except not quite. It's divided into two releases, an EP and a future full-length album, that together tell a story about...well, honestly, I'm not quite certain. It's written pretty obtusely. But that certainly won't stop me … Read more

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