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Izah

Finite Horizon / Crevice
Independent (2009)

Europe, as the old continent, contains a great deal of culture and a long history to help shape musicians and the work. Many in the United States move on obliviously with our lives while barely noticing some of the more well known bands from there. Izah is a group from the old continent that surely is under the radar of … Read more

Skeletonwitch

Breathing the Fire
Prosthetic (2009)

Skeletonwitch's name is known fairly well among the metal community. The band won a lot of new fans over with their sophomore record and Prosthetic Records debut, Beyond the Permafrost. Their combination of thrash and black metal was fairly different compared to what most neo-thrash bands were doing at the time. Now that a couple years have passed, there have … Read more

Black Cloud

Demo
Independent (2009)

Sometimes, there are chances that demos can surprise you while at other times they make you wish that you never put it on your stereo in the first place. Black Cloud's nondescript demo (in the most classic of terms), with its hand made heavy cardstock cover and barely visible cover image and homemade feel, falls squarely in the former category. … Read more

Keelhaul

Keelhaul's Triumphant Return to Obscurity
Hydra Head (2009)

It's been five years since Cleveland-based Keelhaul last graced us with Subject to Change Without Notice. In that time a lot has transpired, and not just in the world of music. And yet it is refreshing to know that even though everything surrounding us appears to be in a state of flux, that there are some things that remain constant. … Read more

Food

Food
Molsook (2009)

Do you know the old bit of folk wisdom that goes something like "Never judge a book by its cover"? Well, substitute record for book, and the old axiom becomes apt the same way. Food's self-titled record is an example of this axiom working in this situation. At first, I completely mistake the cover image for something else because at … Read more

Celan

Halo
Exile on Mainstream (2009)

Celan is an intriguing collection of musicians that is comprised of members of Unsane, Oxbow, Einsturzende Neubauten, and others. Just reading the list of collaborators and knowing their other work definitely forces individuals to take notice as well as wonder at the possibilities of just what this particular effort might be capable of creating. Halo is the debut album from … Read more

Down-Stares

Cobras & Matadors
T.Rex Ate My Face (2008)

A couple of years ago, through my involvement with this website, I crossed paths with Down-Stares' independently released album The Watershed. This was an album that pushed me to my limits as a music critic because, as someone who prefers neatly defined genre categories and, even more so, inaccessibility in my music, Down-Stares is a challenge because of its blatant … Read more

The Black Heart Procession

Six
Temporary Residence (2009)

Can anyone truly describe the sound of The Black Heart Procession? At times there is an audible melancholy that seems to wrap itself in the music, and at other times the band produces a bit more of a "poppy" feel, all the while still maintaining something more dark. Pointless as it is, in an attempt to describe the group's style … Read more

Defeatist

Sharp Blade Sinks Deep into Dull Minds
Willowtip (2009)

I really hate bringing up the ex-members of thing when talking about records. No, seriously I do. Defeatist is the perfect example as to why. When doing research for this album I found a pedigree of underground metal. Members of Anodyne and Kalibas join forces to create a grindcore band indebted to early Napalm Death and Repulsion. To someone like … Read more

Sunny Day Real Estate

Diary / LP2 (Reissues)
Sub Pop (2009)

When it comes to album reissues, it is actually a much more difficult task to write a fair and unbiased review than you might think, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the reviewer - in this case, me - has heard the original recording; therefore there is a pre-conceived opinion of the material. Secondly, the majority of these types of … Read more

Strung Out

Agents of the Underground
Fat Wreck Chords (2009)

Strung Out's Blackhawks Over Los Angeles was a record that had a lot of ups and downs. The album showcased the band's improving musicianship and songwriting but the production really brought the record down. Singer Jason Cruz's voice felt processed in too many areas and it restricted the power that his vocals usually have. I also felt that the band … Read more

Fall of Efrafa

Inle
Halo Of Flies/Denovali/Sound Devastation (2009)

Fall of Efrafa proves further that there is still a great deal of inventiveness in existence within the underground music scene by basing the entire concept (from band name, to topical song material, to artwork) around a singular work of literature by exploring the themes and moods and the mythology within Watership Down. Inle is the final installment in a … Read more

Rise and Fall

Our Circle is Vicious
Deathwish Inc. (2009)

Progression in music is never an easy thing to accomplish without getting mixed reactions; the hardcore community seems to be especially critical. You're always going to have that fan base that talks about how the older material is better, which in some cases, that is true. But in other cases, development and experimentation can lead to superior songwriting and material. … Read more

Kingdom

The Rage That Guides
Eulogy (2009)

Remember the mid 1990's and the vegan straightedge hardcore scene with its horribly over-sized clothes (big pants, basketball jerseys), staunch politics (hardline anyone?), and some of its more notable bands (Earth Crisis, One King Down, Morning Again, Culture, Birthright, Unconquered, and tons more)? I ask this question because not only do I, but because Kingdom is like a huge nostalgic … Read more

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