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Portugal. The Man

In The Mountain, In The Cloud
Atlantic (2011)

Few bands have the creative power, material, and time to put out an album annually since its inception. Portugal. The Man do just this, having released their sixth full length album since their 2006 debut, Waiter: “You Vultures!” For such little time between each release, lack of evolvement is of no concern. P.TM have gradually developed from early rockers with … Read more

Gridlink

Orphan
Hydra Head (2011)

My money is on the simple fact that it will take you longer to read this than it will to actually listen to Orphan, the latest album from the estimable grind group Gridlink (their pedigree alone is enough to warrant paying attention to the music this outfit is creating now) and that is not a knock on the album at … Read more

Thievery Corporation

It Takes A Thief: The Very Best Of
ESL (2010)

Thievery Corporation has always been a bit of a musical Janus: one face obscured in the revolutionary stylings of Subcommandante Marcos, the other the visage of one of the most commercially successful acts in their scene. Their lyrics and album art all call for an end to the economic slavery of the international monetary system. Yet, they’ll still cash a … Read more

Something Fierce

Don't Be So Cruel
Dirtnap (2011)

Chalk up another one for the misleading band name file—Something Fierce makes me think violent and brutal, which definitely isn’t what this Houston group is after. The walking bassline and jangly guitars of the opening track on Don’t Be So Cruel establish a mood of calculated cool that relies on bounce and rhythm instead of aggression. To borrow from the … Read more

Herra Terra

Quiet Geist
The Mylene Sheath (2010)

The Duo of Herra Terra seemed to come out of nowhere when their signing was announced by The Mylene Sheath. Seemingly no prior releases could be found and just the usual myspace was available to see online. What was noted early on is that Herra Terra were going to be the odd band out on the label. Known generally for … Read more

Gifts From Enola

Self Titled
The Mylene Sheath (2011)

Gifts From Enola should be fairly recognizable to anyone into the post rock scene at this point. The Virginia based band have been putting out music and logging road time for the better part of 6 years at this point. The band have worked hard to progress their dynamics-laden post rock sound. So it comes as little surprise that after … Read more

Caïna

Hands That Pluck
Profound Lore (2011)

Hands That Pluck is uncompromising. The final album under the Caïna name for (one man) band leader Andy Curtis-Brignell is intense. Vocally, musically, and lyrically. This is an album dealing with the subject of finality - even more so because it will be the last Caïna release - with ideas of religion and will making numerous appearances."Profane Inheritors" gives you … Read more

Iroha

Self Titled
Denovali (2011)

Admittedly, I was knocked off my seat when I first heard Iroha (their split with Fragment, Bittersweet was an engaging listen) and immediately began awaiting the release of their first LP; but herein lies the problem, there was waiting and waiting and more waiting until I literally forgot about this record coming out at all (which certainly is a shame). … Read more

Until Your Heart Stops

Errors
Creator-Destructor (2011)

This album begins with a short acoustic introduction. With tense melodic vocals leading to background screaming. this song lasts for under a minute and does little to really prepare one for the rest of the record. This California band tends to traffic in semi melodic hardcore blasts. This belies their name for certain as most would attribute the band name … Read more

Symphony X

Iconoclast
Nuclear Blast (2011)

Dream Theater is beginning to stagnate. Queensrÿche has jumped the shark. Nobody even knows what Devin Townsend is on anymore. In fact, it would certainly seem that Symphony X is one of the gracious few progressive metal acts that's actually been getting better as of late. While The Divine Wings of Tragedy or V: The New Mythology Suite will always … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Various Artists

Spraynard & Sundials - Split
Evil Weevil (2011)

Spraynard hail from Pennsylvania and they play a style of punk that blends the varied melodic subgenres of punk rock (East Bay, beard punk, pop punk) to create their own identity—there’s a familiarity from their influences, but it doesn’t squarely pigeonhole them under a specific label. The band utilizes up-front bass that delivers the melody while the gruff, gruff vocals … Read more

Various Artists

Backslider & Nimbus Terrifix - Split
Give Praise (2011)

I have long been a fan of the split record format for a few reasons. The simplest one being a matter of attrition—two bands, one record. Sometimes it is seasoned vets paired with upstarts, like Misery and Hellspawn. Other times it’s the covers idea—each band's songs being covers of songs originally performed by the other bands, like the BYO Records … Read more

Planning For Burial

Untitled
Music Ruins Lives (2011)

Do you listen to music that reflects your mood, or do you listen to music to alter just how you are feeling? A simple question really but one that means serious implications for people’s listening habits, it certainly goes back to what Rob Gordon says in High Fidelity, “What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids … Read more

Random Axe

Self Titled
Duck Down (2011)

After a few years of anticipatory mixtapes, the debut album by Radom Axe has finally seen the light of day. A multiregional supergroup of sorts, Random Axe is comprised of three men who have cut their teeth in the hip-hop underground: Detroit’s Black Milk and Guilty Simpson and NYC’s Sean Price. Individually, these three carry lavish resumes, but as a … Read more

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