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Gravehill

Practitioners Of Fell Sorcery
A389 (2011)

Gravehill are a band formed from Gehenna. While the band have persevered and continue on to this day this demo is the only recording with this lineup. Formed to fully embrace the members love of old school death metal and hardcore. This lineup including the Gehenna vocalist Mike recorded this and pressed maybe 100 copies total on cassette and cd … Read more

Cremation Lily

Untitled
Strange Rules (2011)

Bar none, I have never heard a more wondrous take on the violence of Power Electronics than the Untitled (which came in an extremely limited cassette run from the label Strange Rules) debut from Cremation Lily (a mysterious act from the British Isles). Without getting into the reasons or “how to’s” or “what for’s” of my finding this tape, suffice … Read more

Yes

Fly From Here
Frontiers (2011)

I wasn't even aware Yes was still together at this point, let alone technically the same band. I guess as long as Chris Squire is playing bass somewhere on the album, it instantly becomes a Yes project. The again, Steve Howe and Alan White are also in the studio for this album, so with 3/5ths of the optimal Yes lineup … Read more

Emily's Army

Don't Be A Dick
Adeline (2011)

It would be hard for Emily’s Army to disassociate from their bloodlines: Don’t Be a Dick is produced by Billie Joe Armstrong, shares a similarity in layout, art, and font to Green Day and the record itself is on Adeline. Yes, this is the debut from the California band featuring Joey Armstrong on drums (son of the Green Day frontman). … Read more

Lake Of Blood

As Time And Tide Erodes Stone
Human Jigsaw (2011)

Lake Of Blood hail from southern California, yet are producing the kind of metal you'd more than likely associate with a scene much further north than that; Cascadian black metal is a genre full of atmosphere, full of passion for nature and the preservation of the world we live in. Full of aggression. And Lake Of Blood have taken all … Read more

Bandname

Breakfast
Soft City Records (2011)

Flippant is a word that popped up on the of Bandname's press sheet. Take their moniker into account and add the heavy slackerism that permeates everything they touch on their debut full-length, Breakfast, and that seems an appropriate description. The Philadelphia three-piece play pop punk that's run through an organ grinder with 90s alternarock, distortion-heavy garage and, more or less, … Read more

Various Artists

A.N.S. & Ramming Speed - Split
Tankcrimes (2011)

This is like a new school thrash of the titans album. Both bands have made their names being basically thrash metal bands each with their own slight twist. So you know the basics of what you're getting yourself in for. Heavy drums screaming solos and nasty beer soaked vocals. Both bands bring their best to the table and see what … Read more

Bon Iver

Bon Iver
Jagjaguwar (2011)

The fact that this album is self-titled is really surprising. A self-titled album usually represents and displays everything the artist embodies. Their most predominant musical characteristics, if you will. For Justin Vernon, Bon Iver is not his standard modus operandi. It’s way better than that.The album starts off with “Perth,” a really powerful introduction to the journey you will be … Read more

Devin Townsend Project

Ghost
HevyDevy (2011)

So here it is, the final album in the highly awaited Devin Townsend Project tetralogy. Three other releases have led up to this album, the culmination of years and years of work! Sure, a lot of the material released up to this point has been lacklustre, but that doesn't matter! This is the finale, the topping on the cake, and … Read more

Devin Townsend Project

Deconstruction
HevyDevy (2011)

There should have been no way to fuck this up.So imagine you've set out to write a progressive metal album, and your aim is to create a really light, jocular atmosphere while keeping the music heavy as all get out. Naturally, Devin Townsend is the number one choice for such a creation. Now imagine that you have a guest list … Read more

By Surprise

Mountain Smashers
Topshelf (2011)

Although the Indie-Emo genre has been getting over-saturated with new artists lately, there are a few that wear the title suitably; By Surprise are one of them. They take the sound and mend it into something that’s a little more adventurous, anthemic, and sometimes even quirky. By Surprise’s debut full-length, Mountain Smashers, gives us a bird’s eye view of a … Read more

Seabuckthorn

In Nightfall
Bookmaker (2011)

Seabuckthorn is the one-man solo acoustic project of UK guitarist Andy Cartwright. He's listed as similar to artists like Grails, John Fahey and James Blackshaw, but I hear him almost as an instrumental version of Splinterskin. Even though his debut album In Nightfall is only slightly over twenty minutes long, there is an unexpected amount of maturity to the material.Cartwright … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Various Artists

Grey Area & Go Rydell - Split
Black Numbers (2011)

After 10 years since their last release, Grey Area returns with 2 new songs. They’ve brought along Go Rydell—the melodic-hardcore up-and-comers who are fresh off their well received debut album. Together they deliver a powerhouse, 5-track split.Grey Area’s half has the band blistering through two melodic-hardcore, blended into pop-punk, tracks reminiscent of The Bouncing Souls mixed with Lifetime. The first … Read more

Multiple Authors

Heinali And Matt Finney

Ain't No Night
Paradigms Recordings (2011)

Much has been said about this project - spanning a vast ocean, two continents and many genres in between - so I don't feel the need to get into too many specifics about them. The two behind the band are Heinali, based in the Ukraine, and a composer of ambient soundscapes and electronic drone-like beauty, and Matt Finney, an American … Read more

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