Album number eight from the band now renowned for their genre-shifting and reinvention. Three years in the making, three producers in the studio, and twelve tracks long (given the band's penchant for Lost-esque symbolism, there's probably some deep significance to these numbers). What new style will be unveiled with Crash Love? Nothing too thrilling, is the answer. Opener "Torch Song" is anthemic enough, particularly in its haunting choral refrain, but its sleek maneuvering can't quite give it the epic feel of older cuts like "Wester" or "6 to 8," or even Sing the Sorrow's "This Time Imperfect." Frontman Davey Havok's vocals are passionate but not as powerful as older outings, with the screaming of 2006's Decemberunderground notably missing. Tonally, the guitars veer a little too close to that radio rock sound, unlike 2003's Sing the Sorrow, which saw Jade Puget firmly carve his own name into his distortion sound. The bass is fairly repetitive throughout, with several songs cutting most of the guitar out for verses, leaving Hunter Burgan's brooding lines left to fill the sonic landscape. We're treated to some fretboard wizardry and the odd drum flourish, reminding us that these guys have the chops as well as the … Read more
From time to time certain friends of mine will make the same kind of declarations in the month of February … Read more
Dead Swans is the U.K. hardcore circuit's latest export to reach American soil, currently being championed by the folks over … Read more
Municipal Waste's popularity blew up in 2007 with The Art of Partying, an album with almost every song revolving around … Read more
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Ah, Rammstein. Härte. Neue deutsche. Grinding metal guitars, brute masculinity, pyromania, double entendres, operatic sub-sonic vocals, wordplays galore and taboo subjects. In a live context, they burn – literally, being one of the few bands whose singer eventually deemed it necessary to become qualified as a licensed pyrotechnician and with fans on occasion having been carried out of concerts suffering from heat exhaustion from repeated fireball hits. Rammstein has built their legacy on their otherworldly onstage antics and theatrics, which culminated in getting them arrested after incarnating on more conservative territory. Teaming up with Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund, ex-drummer of the cult metal band Bathory and among many other things, long-term collaborator of Madonna, seems like an adequate choice to tackle the challenge of framing their live performance and their … Read more
Banner Pilot's last album, Resignation Day earned them a lot of praise among punk fans. To me, I thought it was a very solid album but it didn't exactly stick out among the many great bands that are playing this style of punk right now. They're a good band, but I thought they were missing a few things before I … Read more
Sometimes, curiosity completely gets the best of me, as is the case with my musical listening habits. And because of that I do hear quite a bit music that takes a while to process, like Black Boned Angel. Admittedly, the first exposure of Black Boned Angel to which I was privy, can be attributed to the collaboration with Nadja, Christ … Read more
As the crushing, bottom heavy sonic force of "Enochian Prayer" plays, the only thought running through my mind is: "YES! Disembodied rules where would I be without their destroying my ear drums right at this moment?" If you have ever given a spin or two or more to any Disembodied record, than you kind of have an idea of what … Read more
Oh hey what do you know, Merauder is back. For those that don't remember, Merauder put out the classic crossover album Master Killer in 1995. Master Killer set the stage for what would become a metal soaked final years of the last millennium for hardcore, especially within the confines of New York City. I didn't even know Merauder put out … Read more
I honestly did not think that Jeremy Chatelain was still active as Cub Country seeing as how it has been some time since his last record, Stay Poor, Stay Happy back in 2004. But here we have Stretch That Skull Cover and Smile as proof that Cub Country is still alive and kicking. Cub Country is the alt-country project of … Read more
One of the newest bands to come out of Portland, Water & Bodies are looking to make an impact in the music world. Despite only forming a few months before, they have already recorded an EP and are hoping it'll lead to great things. Judging from this EP, it will be a while before they make an impact, maybe even … Read more
Polar Bear Club is essentially the musical version of the story, The Little Engine that Could. Here we have a band, that started out merely four years ago, playing shows wherever they could when the mood struck them to do so. With their debut EP, there was great promise; everyone that heard it realized it. But it really didn't click … Read more
Exciting is a good term to use to describe the feelings from Cable putting out another album, particularly after they had apparently called it quits. Thankfully, their farewell turn juiced the band up enough to write and record a new album. The Failed Convict is the latest album from the Cable institution and the first with guitarist Bernie Romanowski in … Read more
Jon Snodgrass used a sling a guitar in Armchair Martian and Drag the River but decided to go with the singer-songwriter route and dropped Visitor's Band on us in 2009. I never familiarized myself with the country-fried Drag the River. However, I recall Armchair Martian being a guitar heavy pop-punk rock band that Bill and Stephen from ALL always seem … Read more
The Bay Area has always been known for producing some great punk acts. One up-and-coming band is the newest addition to the Asian Man family, For.The.Win. This three-piece play a pretty solid mixture of melodic punk and positive hardcore on their debut album, The Black & The Blue. What we have here is about twenty minutes of sometimes hardcore, sometimes … Read more
If I were to comprise a short list of individuals that I would love to sit down and just have an open-ended conversation with, Andrew W.K. would be at the head of that list. No doubt in my mind. For whatever reason, everything that he does has me on the edge of my seat. The multi-talented W.K. returns with 55 … Read more
What is more difficult to believe? That Wino is releasing his first solo album in his music career or that his music career is as long and solid as it has been? A pillar of consistency with stints in the Obsessed, St. Vitus, Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand, and the coming soon Shrinebuilder (along with members of Neurosis, The Melvins, … Read more
The European hardcore scene has always fascinated me, and for many reasons. But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the world of hardcore on the other side of the Atlantic is that it always comes of as very nostalgic. I don't mean that in a disrespecting way, but more times than not, it seems as though the Euros go out … Read more
Pussygutt is a two-piece ambient droning doom outfit. Well, not exactly but a more accurate description may be given as Pussygutt is a group that works their magic with two actual members and a revolving cast of collaborators as its two masterminds (Brittany McConnell and Blake Green) see fit. She Hid Behind Her Veil is the third album from the … Read more
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