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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)

Cephalic Carnage

Misled By Certainty
Relapse (2010)

Cephalic Carnage have been around the block. For nearly twenty years they’ve been playing their unique blend of grindcore and technical death metal. When it comes to metal, these guys know what the fuck is up. Their previous album Xenosapien is one of my favorites from any genre to have been released in the past few years. That record was a huge step forward for the band, as it showed they are capable of evolving their sound and not sticking to the formula that so many deathgrind bands conform to. So it comes as no surprise that Cephalic Carnage have once again reinvented themselves with Misled by Certainty, their most mature, complex, and strange release yet.The album opens with the first single, “The Incorrigible Flame”. This is easily the most accessible track on the album. The arrangement here is fairly standard for a CC song, with melodic yet complex guitar riffs, and a solo for good measure. In the middle of the song there is this neat dissonant duel-guitar riff that caught me by surprise. We’re only one track in and the band is already showcasing their immense songwriting capabilities. “Abraxas of Filth” is an early highlight, with a blistering … Read more

Year of No Light

Ausserwelt
E-Music (2010)

Ausserwelt is the sophomore album from Year Of No Light following up their excellent debut, Nord; and while this outfit … Read more

The Brokedowns

Species Bender
Red Scare (2010)

Three long years after New Brains for Everyone rallied cynical drunks everywhere, the Brokedowns have returned with another full-length, this … Read more

The Secret

Solve Et Coagula
Southern Lord (2010)

This four-piece crust/grind band hails from Trieste, Italy and formed in 2003. The Secret released their first record Luce on … Read more

Let Me Run

Broken Strings EP
Paper + Plastick (2010)

Let Me Run managed to get alot of recognition in 2009 very quickly. This maybe be because of their jersey … Read more

A Wilhelm Scream

Self Titled
Paper + Plastick (2010)

A Wilhelm Scream are back. After a period of absence the mighty punks from the northeast are back. The band … Read more

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One from the archives

Full Contact / Heartbreak Kid

GNP Split Series Vol. 1
GNP (2006)

Split CDs are never a good idea because you usually don't have any clue what's going on, especially when you have two bands that sound alike. At least with vinyl, you have to make a conscious effort and turn the piece of wax over. Maybe the first GNP Split Series will be the split CD that changes everything for me. Yeah, who are we kidding? First up is Texas's Full Contact and the band lives in 1994, which for me is a decent year to live in. Their music is metallic, in your face, and somewhat burly. The recording even sounds like it came from 1994 with the snare pushed way to far up in the mix. The guitars are muddy and at time you can't hear the bass. Full … Read more

More album reviews

Swans

My Father Will Guide Us Up A Rope To The Sky
Young God (2010)

Sitting here listening to the new Swans album, My Father Will Guide Us Up A Rope To The Sky, difficult thoughts ripple through my mind because of how I personally feel about this record and because of how this album is being viewed by the multitudes of people who have been waiting with baited breath to hear what many people … Read more

Nadja

Autopergamene
Essence Music (2010)

Nadja has certainly outdone themselves on this one; Autopergamene is an absolute artistic triumph in every way imaginable (the deluxe CD version of the release is in any case, and at the time of this little expose there is no vinyl version available) from the breathtaking packaging to the sheer volume of visual artwork to the beatific sounds laid to … Read more

Autopsy

The Tomb Within EP
Peaceville (2010)

Autopsy are a band of legacy as one of the original death metal bands. Sure they had left for awhile to do other bands and whatever else. Now they return with a barnburner of an EP. Truly nothing has really changed for this band. They are still incredibly heavy have their noted gurgling death vocal style and strong leads. Certain … Read more

A Loss For Words

Motown Classics
Paper + Plastick (2010)

A Loss For Words are an above average pop punk band. That is a rather general statement but, noting that i have listened to their previous work i can say alot of things. Going into this cover album i was somewhat excited yet skeptical. Very rarely does a cover album come out to be more than a fun yet passable … Read more

Zu

Carboniferous
Ipecac (2009)

Zu are a strange band. They are the type of band that could almost only fit on Ipecac because they love the abnormal. They are discordant and noisy and beautiful and also Italian. Noted, that last one doesn't have much bearing on the music just a nice note. The band has a long history of upsetting audiences throughout Europe and … Read more

Afgrund

Vid Helvetets Grindar
Willowtip (2009)

Grindcore is tough genre to single most bands out of. There are standouts like Napalm Death and heirs to the throne like Misery Index (I know not just a grind band). Still beyond the few acts that truly stick themselves out above the scum there is little definition within the ranks. So in a way this makes any band doing … Read more

Cococoma

Things Are Not Alright
Goner (2009)

Goner records has a certain sound to everything on their label. Part Ramones, part garage band record it lo-fi and or subtract piano and organs as you see fit. There is something absolutely great about the simplicity and childlike love of classic 60's garage rock that is contained in each release. So I can't be faulted for having some vague … Read more

Twilight

Monument To Time End
Southern Lord (2010)

Supergroups tend to be either spectacular successes or spectacular failures. Either the musicians work well together, or they don't. Creative differences, personal drama or overgrown egos can easily get in the way when we are dealing with already-established artists. Twilight is an American black metal supergroup I have had my eye on for some time, but I honestly expected to … Read more

Various Artists

Caustic Defiance/Negative Element-Split CD
Akashic (2009)

Just when you thought all the early 1980's output from Chicago bands had been put out there, along comes this release. Negative Element was a young, loud, and snotty hardcore band from the Chicago suburbs. Although they played many a show with such heavyweights as Big Black and Articles of Faith, they remained largely unknown outside their hometown. This CD … Read more

Volcano Choir

Unmap
Jagjaguar (2009)

In the last two years Justin Vernon became a household name of sorts. Firstly it was under the pseudonym Bon Iver. Secondly it was indie rock stardom, which is similar to being Brian Dennehy. Who while a great actor in his own right is generally left to do cameos and if you were to quote him at the dinner table … Read more

Ian McNabb

Great Things
Fairfield Records (2009)

New solo record from the ex-Icicle Works frontman finds him stretching his wings creatively with spectacular results. Songwriting is the focus here, with guitar leads taking a back seat to the overall atmosphere of each song. For the most part, each song is given room to breathe (there's only one song under the 4-minute mark) and time to draw the … Read more

Tiltwheel

The Hiatus AKA The High Hate Us
ADD Records (2010)

Tiltwheel have firmly established themselves as one of the least prolific bands out there. Formed in 1991, the band had released only two proper full-lengths up until The Hiatus (alternately listed as The High Hate us)—maybe three if you count re-recording old EPs and putting them together as a collection. Was The Hiatus years in the making, or did life … Read more

Wrnlrd

Myrmidon
FSS (2009)

Following the strange intriguing experience of Oneirmantical War, I felt that I had to check out Myrmidon from WRNLRD once it arrived; but instead of diving right into Myrmidon, I avoided it like the album was some dark door that I just did not want to open. Myrmidon sat for months on my desk as it sat, always visible out … Read more

Stone Roses

Self Titled-Deluxe Edition
Silvertone (2009)

3 disc release of their debut, which was 20 years old last year. Remastered by original producer John Leckie and Ian Brown, the original record sounds fantastic. The close to 10 minute "Fools Gold" is tacked on as a bonus track at the end of the first disc. The 2nd CD is demos, with one song-"Pearl Bastard" being the only … Read more

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