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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)

An Abstract Illusion

Woe
Willowtip (2022)

At a chance recommendation of one of my best friends, I was introduced to An Abstract Illusion some three years or so ago. I was immediately hooked, as it would be obvious for someone with such an inclination for death metal. More particularly though, the melodic and progressive edge of their music was the actual selling point for me. Illuminate the Path became a regular record in my playlists for quite some time, especially the second track "An Abode of a God" with its thunderous and epic flourishes. This kind of atmospheric death metal was something I somehow never really got into for whatever reason. The lack of notable representatives may also play a part in it. Anyway, time passes and I keep returning to Illuminate the Path in hopes of a follow up. Fairly recently I saw that the band announced Woe. My excitement skyrocketed so hard that I think I almost started sweating. On my first listen of the record, I was pretty much slack jawed and stupefied. It's excessively exhaustive to attempt to dissect the record bit by bit, but that's what an album like this would truly warrant. For the sake of sanity and brevity I'll … Read more

DFMK

Dame Peligro EP
Alternative Tentacles (2022)

This is how a 7” is supposed to work. Three quick songs and it leaves you wanting more. DFMK play … Read more

Calabrese

Death Cult EP
Spookshow Records (2022)

In my review of the last Calabrese record, Flee The Light, I said I hoped it would not take them … Read more

RASHŌMON

Nin-Gen EP
Iron Lung (2022)

Laypeople who don’t listen to heavy music often lump it all together, even while those of us who dedicate our … Read more

Lex Lüger

Rey Del Terror
Independent (2022)

I swear that the artists and albums I choose to review are getting harder and harder to research... I like … Read more

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers

Pretty Good For A Girl Band
Domestic La La (2022)

There is a tendency, I think, to label any loud band, any loud female band, as Riot Grrrl. Reducing a … Read more

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One from the archives

King Diamond

The Spider's Lullabye (reissue)
Metal Blade (2015)

When King Diamond's album The Spider's Lullabye, his sixth, was first released in 1995, it was a unique entry in the catalog as it was the first of Diamond's albums since his Fatal Portrait debut that was not a full concept album. It also marked the debut of a whole new band, with the exception of guitarist Andy La Roque, Diamond's partner in crime, who has been with King since the beginning of his solo career.There's some great guitar work from La Roque on this album, whom, along with King remain the group's main songwriters. Truth be told, when metal nerds like myself talk in hushed reverence of King's albums, Spider's Lullabye isn't the first topic of conversation, but the songs hold up. This is confirmed by the fact the … Read more

More album reviews

Joyce Manor

40 oz. to Fresno
Epitaph (2022)

Joyce Manor is one of those bands that I always follow, a band that shaped my tastes in my earlier years of digging into pop punk/emo subculture. Let’s say I would like to thankgod, ‘cause 2022 is a year where a lot of good stuff is coming out and unfortunately 40 oz. to Fresno is not so good for me. … Read more

Chained Bliss

Chained Bliss
Drunken Sailor (2022)

There are certain guitar tones that recall another era, and Chained Bliss are rooted in one of them. When I hear the angular riffs and repetitive structures on the band’s self-titled debut full-length, I’m immediately taken back in time to the glory days of Wire or Gang Of Four. But while Chained Bliss shares some similarities with the British post-punk … Read more

Xingfoo&Roy

Green Around The Gills
Independent (2022)

It's always nice to know one of your friends and favorite bands is doing good stuff and this example goes to a Singaporean band called Xingfoo&Roy. I met them initially 6 years ago. Me and some friends in our tiny town arranged a gig for the band. They're super nice and I think I've been in love since they put … Read more

The Chats

Get Fucked
Bargain Bin (2022)

So, then, is it sabotage? Or is it just punk? After 2017’s knockout hit single, “Smoko,” and a solid sophomore album, The Chats have been brushing up awfully close with mainstream success. The Australian trio is one more Wet Leg cover away from rising above the underground. Poised for evening talk show circuits and stadium tours they do what any … Read more

10.000 Years

III (2022)
Interstellar Smoke Records (2022)

It ends here. Well, the trilogy telling the tale of spaceship “Albatross” ends here. Albatross is a spaceship that went on a mission: they were to look for other inhabitable planets in our milky way. In the first part of the trilogy the ship travels through a wormhole into another dimension and ends up on a planet inhabited by ancient … Read more

Strategies

Strategies EP
Independent (2022)

At only four songs, Strategies’ debut EP is a quick play. The project is led by Paul Lask (The Ghost, Tight Phantomz), who created and sent demos to his longtime contemporaries, Brian Moss (The Ghost, Hanalei, Great Apes), and Neil Hennessy (The Lawrence Arms). The EP is wandering and explorative, building off the thoughtful post-hardcore influenced emo of the aforementioned … Read more

The Clever References

Hamish's House
Independent (2022)

Some say Australia is a very nice place to spend your life, saying it's the safest place on earth with its protective system for its citizens. I know it's kind of dumb for thinking that any band that is from a more "wealthy place", like Australia, will always have its own privilege to get known wider around the globe though … Read more

The Mountain Goats

Bleed Out
Merge (2022)

The Mountain Goats have made an action movie. Bleed Out is a concept album of sorts, made in a distinctly Mountain Goats way. Basically, ringleader John Darnielle wrote the record while watching movies: pausing and taking notes, so the lyrics aren’t just about familiar plotlines, but the full scope of cinematic storytelling. That info all comes in the press release, … Read more

Left Hand Black

Lower Than Satan
Sick Taste Records, Sunny Bastards (2022)

Left Hand Black formed in 2019 and took the horrorpunk scene by storm with their first release, the self titled Left Hand Black album during the dark days of March 2020. The Swedish four piece are made up of former members of metal band Lake Of Tears, punk rock band Overdrive Solution and horrorpunks The Dead Next Door so they … Read more

BlackDots

EP2
Motorcycle Potluck Records (2022)

BlackDots are back with EP2, released digitally and on a flexi 7”. The peppy, punky band from Denver are energetic but they aren’t your typical punk band, even if they do check a lot of the boxes. With dual vocals and melodic guitars, the general sound is somewhat quirky but upbeat and bouncy music. It’s emotional and cathartic but built … Read more

without

Be Corny
Raft Records (2022)

To me, the Japanese orgcore scene has always been an interesting thing when you're talking Asian scene and I see many great Japanese 90s-'00s melodic hardcore/orgcore bands as my early influences. What's been so good about the bands is that Japanese bands have always made accomplishment through their music or sound compositions despite the band itself having difficulties with the … Read more

Municipal Waste

Electrified Brain
Nuclear Blast (2022)

Professional party metal/thrash crossover ragers Municipal Waste are back with their seventh studio album and what a triumphant return it is too! Their last album Slime And Punishment released back in 2017 (which seems like a really long time ago) was fun but for some reason I was not that into it as I have been with their other stuff. … Read more

Crowning / Naedr

Rayau
Left Hand Label, Zegema Beach (2022)

If you are a frequent visitor of this site, perhaps you remember my glowing review of Naedrs debut album Past Is Prologue. That album made a huge impression on me and still gets heavy rotation. So you understand I was quite excited to see new material from this band. And it is a split release no less, so it presents … Read more

Camp Trash

The Long Way, The Slow Way
Count Your Lucky Stars (2022)

Camp Trash is a band that impressed me from the first second I heard them on their first single ”Weird Carolina” before the Downtime EP was out. I can't deny that I got to discover the band through Keegan, the guitarist. (Keegan used to write on many Asian bands for Get Alternative and that includes my band, Ache, getting coverage … Read more

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