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200 Words Or Less

Mothra

Dyes
Self Made God (2009)

Noisy manic hardcore from Poland in the vein of Deadguy, Botch, or Norma Jean. Once again completely not my thing but Mothra seem to know what they are doing with their mathy assault. I wish I had more to say about this but I really don't have any frame of reference and it's too easy for me to make Polack … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Billy Club Sandwich

The Usual Suspects
Dead City/Rucktion (2009)

Besides some brilliant use of Photoshop to interpose the band members of Billy Club Sandwich in some memorable movies of the past 20 years there is really nothing else redeemable about The Usual Suspects. I never thought I heard a band that'd have worse cave man vocals than 25 ta Life but Billy Club Sandwich takes barking and grunting typical … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Bankrupt

Rocket to Riot City
Piar (2009)

Wow. I am sick to death of reviewing bands from across the pond. This time it's Hungry. One of my favorite uh adult actresses of all time was from Budapest. Michelle Wild...yeah...she was a dirty girl. I guess she got married and found God or something. Oh well. ANYHOW, Bankrupt are a very typical punk rock band that I had … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Collison of My Axioms

Veritas
Spook (2009)

Completely predictable chug mosh from Italy. If you like xLiferuinerx or live in my state of Minnesota you probably think this is the shit. The stop and starts on this four-song EP are giving me a headache that may lead to a grand maul seizure. If I hear one more song that starts off with a two-step part I am … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Trashcan Sinatras

In the Music
Lo-Five (2009)

The new record by this Scotland group features a finely polished veneer that glides smoothly through your ears from start to finish. The solid interplay of guitars between John Douglas and Paul Livingston continues to take each song to dizzying heights. Coupled with the sincere vocals of Frank Reader and the solid back-beat provided by Stephen Douglas, you are guaranteed … Read more

Goes Cube

Another Day Has Passed
The End (2009)

Is it necessary to combine musical styles rather than perfect a specific sound? It seems to me that so many groups want to be that next big crossover band, combining metal or hardcore with other genres to bridge gaps and appeal to a broader demographic. But this is rather difficult to pull off effectively, and I've always felt that the … Read more

Gonzales

Checkmate
Chorus of One (2009)

It shouldn't take a Johnny Cash song to make a record take off. With Checkmate, from Gonzales, that's exactly the problem. The first hook to really pull you in comes on "Ring of Fire," which sets a positive tone for everything that follows after it. Unfortunately, that's only the final three songs. At their heart, Gonzales seek to be a … Read more

Converge

Axe to Fall
Epitaph (2009)

As they approach twenty years as a band, taking a look back at what Converge has accomplished throughout their career span would be a fairly daunting task. In an effort to spare both you and I a lot of time, let's just leave it at this: Converge is one of the most important hardcore bands of their time, and should … Read more

Lewd Acts

Black Eye Blues
Deathwish Inc. (2009)

Lewd Acts finally release their debut full-length in the form of Black Eye Blues. And with their first long-player, the San Diego outfit makes good on all the promise of their early recordings. But in addition to their classic-hardcore inspired approach, we also get a few other musical nuances that showcase influences that weren't readily apparent on their previous recordings. … Read more

The Swellers

Ups and Downsizing
Fueled By Ramen (2009)

The Swellers decision to sign to Fueled By Ramen Records was very confusing to say the least. Many were expecting them to sign to a bigger label after gaining some exposure with My Everest and touring constantly in support of it, but no one saw this move coming. Who would have thought that The Swellers would become labelmates with The … Read more

Gnaw

This Face
Conspiracy (2009)

Damn, when reading the former projects of the members of this group, one really starts to understand how insular a music scene can be in how the bands all break off and form new bands with different cross sections of each other. Gnaw contains members from an impressive list including Khanate, Burning Witch, Thorr's Hammer, Atavist, OLD, Yard, and a … Read more

Nightmare of You

Infomaniac
Brookvale/The Bevonshire Label (2009)

With the release of their self-titled debut in 2005 Nightmare of You made it a point to distance themselves from their post-The Movielife buzz and define their sound as something unique. The band's fusion of cool indie rock, Joy Division-inspired new wave, and Morrissey-like musings created quite a clamor with fans expecting output akin to their roots but everyone else … Read more

Necrophobic

Satanic Blasphemies
Regain (2009)

Necrophobic are one of the classics of the legendary old school Swedish death metal scene, along with underground titans such as Entombed, Dismember, and Carnage. They remained slightly less known then the aforementioned compatriots but nonetheless command great respect in underground circles and bring a lot of history with them. If you are at all familiar with and love old … Read more

Every Time I Die

New Junk Aesthetic
Epitaph (2009)

There's always a lot of different opinions surrounding the band Every Time I Die. A lot prefer the more chaotic, unpredictable sound they had in the early days of Hot Damn! and Last Night in Town, while a lot seem to enjoy their more riff-heavy metalcore sound they've developed since Gutter Phenomenon. Their last album, The Big Dirty was arguably … Read more

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