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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)

Flores y Fuego

Altar
Pirates Press (2023)

Originally released in 2021 by the band (digitally), Pirates Press just released Altar on vinyl. It’s the debut album by Flores y Fuego, a hardcore band from Mexico and it feels both fresh, yet familiar, with big riffs, tangible anger, and a cathartic call to come together. You know: classic hardcore. The sound is big and powerful, but the lyrics are chanted and paced in a way that I can make out the words (in Spanish). As with most hardcore at this tempo, it’s not just the riffs that do the heavy lifting. The bass really sets the pace and the guitars are quite varied throughout. You’ll hear metal flourishes across the whole record to varied degree. “Circulo Vicioso” is more straight-up hardcore, whereas “Deceso” has nearly a minute build-up with hints of groove metal. “Muerde El Anzuelo” and “Por Una Cadena Más Larga” are other great examples of that balance. The latter song here closes out the record. It does incorporate metallic guitars, but it's layered within the bigger sound. It’s not a sudden change or glaring flair. Instead, it’s organic and natural. The vocals are also key to how smooth this record is. I think in English I … Read more

Various Artists

Horrorpunk's Not Dead Vol. 2
We Are Horror Records (2023)

A mere 6 months after We Are Horror Records released Horrorpunk's Not Dead! Vol.1, which for those that don't know … Read more

Angus McSix

Angus McSix and the Sword of Power.
Napalm (2023)

The story of this album is forged thusly; after heroically dying in the greatest battle of all time at the … Read more

Postage

LP2
Dirt Cult (2022)

I’m going to brand Postage as anxiety punk. It’s fast, intense and it feels on the verge of collapse at … Read more

Kepi Ghoulie

Ramones in Love
Pirates Press (2023)

The (rightful) knock on many of the “old punks gone solo” is that it’s a person with an acoustic guitar, … Read more

The 69 Eyes

Death Of Darkness
Atomic Fire Records (2023)

Death Of Darkness is the thirteenth album from the Helsinki vampires The 69 Eyes. The Finnish five piece have been … Read more

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One from the archives

Aughra / Mosh Patrol

Is There Anyone Else Outside
Magic Bullet (2007)

Is There Anyone Else Outside is the split effort between Aughra and Mosh Patrol. Aughra is the ambient/electronic solo-project of Brent Eyestone (member of Forensics, Corn on Macabre, and Waifle) while Mosh Patrol is a similar solo project from Chris King (member of This Will Destroy You). The Aughra material on Is There Anyone Else Outside is very chilled out and relaxing. "Always Oversleeps" feels like multiple calming waves enveloping the listener's hearing range. The subtle oscillating noises of varying intensity adds a depth to the quiet white noise washes that sound like water breaking against a quiet shore. "Dog Years" follows with an initially piano driven piece that actually has a picked guitar part and an electronically treated drum beat. The drum part kind of seems a bit overpowering … Read more

More album reviews

Various Artists

Mooorree Than Just Another Comp
Lavasocks Records, Sell The Heart Records (2023)

Mooorree Than Just Another Comp is a 33-track double LP compilation from Sell The Heart Records and Lavasocks Records, covering the entire Operation Ivy catalog, with new takes from the likes of The Raging Nathans, The Chinkees, Eichlers, Flying Raccoon Suit, even We Are The Union w/ Eve 6. Very broadly speaking, the entire comp is pretty true to the … Read more

The Bar Stool Preachers

Above the Static
Pure Noise (2023)

I first discovered The Bar Stool Preachers back in 2018 when they released their amazing record, Grazie Governo. The comfort and familiarity in the songs and singer TJ McFaull's voice truly released some endorphines in my soul. After some research, I figured it out. That's the son of the singer of Cock Sparrer! There are definitely some elements of Cock … Read more

Gee Tee

Goodnight Neanderthal
Goner (2023)

I really don’t know much about Gee Tee, and sometimes when writing a review I like to keep it that way to let the music speak for itself. Speaking broadly, Gee Tee’s sound is classic rock ‘n’ roll, rooted in swagger, sway, energy, and attitude, but with a big dose of keyboard. Guitar is the star of the show, with … Read more

CIVIC

Taken By Force
ATO (2023)

You’re a professional musician. You fixate on creation. On guitar tones. On overarching themes. You’re writing your third studio album in Elphinstone, Australia- a town of less than 500 people. You and your bandmates have temporarily taken up residence here to craft your apocalyptic new LP. You’re thinking about disasters, emergencies, horrific tragedies. Naturally, that starts to bleed over into … Read more

Various Artists

Litovsk/Hinin - Split EP
Bad Health Records, Dans le Vide, Donnez Moi Du Feu, Going Postal Records, Hidden Bay, Medication Time, Senseless Acts Of Anger (2023)

Two French bands join forces on this EP. Both bands deliver us one new song and one cover. Both play post-punk, although both bands take a different approach to the genre. The first band is Litovsk. I am happy to see them return, as I had not heard from them in a while. They have a couple of excellent releases … Read more

Tukatukas

Royal Bourbon
D.I.Y. Koło Records (2022)

Hailing from Reunion Island surrounded by the Indian Ocean -Tukatukas take an exciting detour on punk/hardcore which brings you up around the bend and slightly left. Tukatukas have caused concern among local inhabitants on this beautiful Island merely for the decibel levels they have been obtaining and the fact there are known volcanos existing among them. The volcano in question … Read more

Truth Cult

Walk the Wheel
Pop Wig Records (2023)

Walk the Wheel is the second LP from Truth Cult, but my first introduction to them. My first impression was that the sound would be loud, aggressive, and chaotic. But with 11 songs total, only the opening song, “Squeeze,” really hits that hardcore-style aggression. The rest is certainly loud and chaotic, but after that song it’s alternately more melodic and … Read more

Eric Angelo Bessel

Visitation
Lore City Music (2023)

Visitation is the debut solo album from visual artist and musician, Eric Angelo Bessel. One half of experimental, gothic, post rock duo Lore City based in Portland, Oregon. In terms of pace and feeling Visitation is a stunning collaboration of serenity and calm laced with highly emotive inflections of darkness and foreboding. The eight instrumental tales take you on a … Read more

Skating Polly

Hickey King
El Camino Media (2023)

There’s always a fear, of course, that the anticipation is better. That the five year long wait was actually the best part. Dutifully analyzing Instagram posts and new set lists. Listening to every podcast appearance and solo project. There’s a fear, of course, that it won’t be worth it. They’ll stray too far from their roots. They won’t evolve at … Read more

Katatonia

Sky Void of Stars
Napalm (2023)

Forgive me, for a moment, while I take some time to explain that sitting down to write this piece was difficult. I stopped and started several times and that’s not counting the amount of days I spent just thinking about writing a review. You see, Katatonia are an institution and I felt that trying to describe their music was a … Read more

Various Artists

Brains For Friends
Bubblegum Attack Records (2022)

Bubblegum Attack Records from Moscow, Russia have brought together four awesome and uniquely different horrorpunk bands to bring us this twelve track split album entitled Brains For Friends. This is by far the best thing to come out of Russia since balaclavas and vodka, especially in the last year or so. Brains For Friends features three tracks from four different … Read more

Screaming Females

Desire Pathway
Don Giovanni (2023)

The lead song and first single on Desire Pathway” is “Brass Bell,” a fine song that’s indicative of Screaming Females’ general sound. That said, it’s really the second song, “Desert Train,” which gets this album rolling for me. It’s a fierce guitar song that’s hard and driving. Just like its name, it’s steeped in classic rock but with modern twists. … Read more

Won't Stay Dead

3 Hits From Purgatory
We Are Horror Records (2023)

Won't Stay Dead are back with a few more tracks following on from their album Purgatory released in Oct 2022 https://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews ... purgatory/. This EP entitled 3 Hits From Purgatory contains two previously unreleased tracks from the Purgatory sessions. "New Descent" and "Nine Guys (No Weapons)" might not have made it onto the album, instead they were destined for bigger … Read more

Buen Destino

Buen Destino
BCore (2023)

Buen Destino is a new hardcore band from Barcelona. It is formed by members and ex-members of a host of other bands, none of which rung a bell. On this self-titled album the band incorporates a big range of influences. Their Bandcamp tells me this album should appeal to fans of Killing Joke, Discharge, Converge, Jesus Lizard, Daughters, Dead Cross, … Read more

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