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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)

Parasitic Skies

The Descent
Seventh Dagger (2010)

Metalcore may be the most loaded term in modern underground music. For most it means you sound like Hatebreed or for the slightly more adventurous Heaven Shall Burn. Either way, you're running the risk of monotony and probably jokes at your expense from those too cool. While I say this, there was a time in the 90's that metalcore was new and a more dangerous Slayer loving cousin to hardcore itself. Parasitic Skies hearken back to that kind of metalcore. There is a viciousness and danger to what they play that doesn't sit with the listener in the way metalcore seems to otherwise. What you get from this Parasitic Skies on their first full-length is short sharp blasts of metal worshipping hardcore. The great part is it's not just the usual Slayer worship (not that Slayer is bad either) but many different types of metal. There's the divebombs employed by most metal guitarists along with the brutality of death metal and the vocals of black metal. The rage is palpable from the speedy but on point drumming to the way the guitarist is able to break through the mix shift tempos and not get everything else lost. There are only … Read more

Harvestman

In a Dark Tongue
Neurot (2009)

Being a side project of a member of Neurosis always lends an air of cache to such musical project, and … Read more

The Love Below

Reproductive Rights
A389 (2010)

Do you like your hardcore punk raw sounding so that it comes across in absolutely vicious manner? If so, then … Read more

Nathan Xander

The Fear
Deep Elm (2009)

Every once in awhile you try out an album and it becomes a happy accident. These albums become special to … Read more

The Tallest Man on Earth

The Wild Hunt
Dead Oceans (2010)

Kristian Matsson, aka The Tallest Man on Earth, wants to sound like Bob Dylan. Who doesn't? Well, I can name … Read more

Prayers for Atheists

Prayers for Atheists
Strange Famous (2009)

I wasn't sure what to make of this upon getting it. I had seen it compared to hip-hop, Rage Against … Read more

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One from the archives

An Albatross

We are the Lazer Viking
Ace Fu (2003)

Popcorn! Popcorn! The repeated statement of popcorn was one thing that was sorely missed from this album. This was due to the fact that they keyboards for An Albatross sound like the organ that is used at baseball games in the olden days. Then all of a sudden, BAM! The pitcher pegs the hitter in the side. The man with the baseball bat rushes the pitcher! This scuffle and quote unquote anarchy that ensues, is the sound that is AN ALBATROSS! But you must also consider the third basemen, dressed in Viking attire, who begins to run in place with his hands thrown up towards the great blue sky. At times it's hard to take this band seriously, not that their sound sounds very serious, because band members used to … Read more

More album reviews

One Starving Day

Atlas Coelestis
Beta Lactam Ring/Nar Shardaa (2010)

After catching their last LP, Broken Wings Lead Arms to the Sun, One Starving Day remains on my radar; so, when their latest album, Atlas Coelestis was announced, an anxious period of waiting immediately followed. Even though the band was heavily indebted to bands like Neurosis, One Starving Day still brought a great deal of panache and style to the … Read more

Nails

Unsilent Death
Six Feet Under (2010)

Sheer brute force is the best way to describe this album from Nails (featuring ex-members of Carry On); Unsilent Death (the second release from this outfit) is a short sharp shock of hardcore crunch that smacks you in the face and then asks if you would like another during the course of its ten blasts. Seriously, it has been a … Read more

Actors & Actresses

Arrows
The Mylene Sheath (2009)

There are certain labels as a music fan that I follow wholeheartedly. I could say The Mylene Sheath is one of these labels for me. They have a strong reputation for putting out spacey post-rock with a flair for nice packaging. So I was kind of excited to be able to check out one of the labels most recent signings. … Read more

The Morning After Girls

Alone
Independent (2009)

The Morning After Girls are a band from New York by way of Melbourne. I have to assume their name is more a reference to the haziness that follows a night out, as opposed to the pill bearing a similar name. Musically, they are descendants of the fuzzy psych-rock of bands like Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, … Read more

Invasion

The Master Alchemist
This Is Music (2009)

Now listen carefully, people I'm only going to say this once. You need to listen to this album. Further to that, most people need to own it. I hate to kick off with such a blatant endorsement that has now leached out all sense of suspense from reading this modest review, but frankly this is the most refreshing and urgent … Read more

Kickback

No Surrender
GSR (2009)

Apparently Kickback is from France and is controversial as well as infamous. I'm not trying to doubt these claims but I haven't been able to find any reason why they'd be either of the last two things save for some of their artwork and the music video now streaming on their Myspace page. For a band that is nearing twenty … Read more

She & Him

Volume Two
Merge (2010)

Following up the aptly titled Volume One with an album that has equally fitting title of Volume Two, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward show that She & Him is not a short lived vanity project for Ms. Deschanel, nor a mere dalliance for Mr. Ward. This time around, She & Him have the benefit (and curse) of knowing that people … Read more

The Takers

Taker Easy
Suburban Home (2009)

The Takers are the latest entry in the country revival coming out of the punk scene over the last few years. What sets The Takers apart from most of these bands is their absolute ability to sound like a normal old school country band. That is to say, there isn't some folk punk nonsense or a punk chorus or even … Read more

The Poison Arrows

First Class, and Forever
File 13 (2009)

Following on from an impressive mini-album, Poison Arrows have now put their talent to use in the full album format, something sought after when Casual Wave was making the spins. Now, with room to expand and with the time to let the songs build up over almost one hour's time and with a crisp recording from Albini's legendary Electrical Audio … Read more

Okie Dokie

Okie Dokie
Aagoo (2009)

The band is named Okie Dokie. The artwork is simple and to the point. In other words, Okie Dokie doesn't hide the fact that they're a dirty rock band, blending balls to the wall sleaze rock with fast, sloppy surf garage at its heart. The record is only eight songs, and whatever vinyl format it's on (I received a promo … Read more

Liturgy

Renihilation
20 Buck Spin (2009)

Liturgy is part of what may be referred to the new school of hipster black metal. Sure this is an unfair assessment in reality but when Xasthur gets noted time and again on Pitchfork of all places it may benefit to note what type of black metal each release is. So in any case, Liturgy is from Brooklyn and they … Read more

Alkaline Trio

This Addiction
Heart & Skull (2010)

So. The big question. A return to form? Quick answer yes. Less quick answer yes, but. A lot has been touted about the latest album from Skiba, Andriano, and Grant and some of it is even true. It's a definite move away from the ill-advised adult rock of 2008's Agony & Irony, but it falls far from being a primal … Read more

Balance and Composure

Only Boundaries
No Sleep (2009)

This is the second EP in as many years from this young band. While they are overwhelmingly young, they are not without experience. Touting members of the recently deceased War Pigs and The Erection Kids - who despite a silly name are best known for a really great split EP with Title Fight. The best part of this is knowing … Read more

Rocky Votolato

True Devotion
Barsuk/Second Nature (2010)

Only recently the consensus had been reached in my household that the time for a new Rocky Votolato album was long past due and a lengthy re-visitation of his solo back catalog immediately commenced at that point. Luckily for our household, the new album from Mr. Votolato is here; True Devotion comes via Barsuk Records again (his label for the … Read more

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