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Sunset Rubdown

Dragonslayer
Jagjaguwar (2009)

Spencer Krug may be our generation's Robert Pollard. Both seem to excrete music. Both create surreal visions full of vibrant characters and dense metaphor. Like Pollard's best albums, Dragonslayer sweeps us across a landscape replete with broken lovers and ephemeral romance and lonesome dirges. The connections between characters, images, and ideas are easier to spot than on 2007's more elusive … Read more

Asva

What You Don't Know is Frontier
Southern (2008)

Every once in a while, there are albums that are born from such gut wrenching emotional outpouring as a form of personal therapy or personal journey of recovery for the artist or artists responsible for the work. It is a rare opportunity to glimpse such pain and catharsis, and G. Stuart Dahlquist (Burning Witch, Goatsnake) and a cast of co-conspirators … Read more

The Catalyst

Swallow Your Teeth
The Perpetual Motion Machine (2009)

It's hard to believe that Richmond, Virginia natives The Catalyst are only releasing their first full-length record in the form of Swallow Your Teeth. But I suppose that is a testament to their craft. They've kept fans satisfied with a series of split recordings and EP's over the years so that fans haven't had a chance to really yearn for … Read more

The Golden Age

Unlock Yourself
Panic (2009)

Panic Records has been on quite a roll as of late. Releasing great records from Final Fight, Outrage, Make Do And Mend, and a 7" from a Texas hardcore band The Golden Age. This five-piece made quick work in the studio to record their new full-length, Unlock Yourself which is being described as "one of the best melodic hardcore records … Read more

Reign Supreme

Testing the Limits of Infinite
Deathwish Inc. (2009)

In 1995 Testing the Limits of Infinite would have been standard fare by any big league hardcore band. You see, back then many bands liked to play metal. They really loved their Slayer riffs interspersed with their mosh parts and we all ate it up because our dirt bag metal head friends wouldn't piss and moan about what we played … Read more

The Hope Conspiracy

True Nihilist
Deathwish Inc. (2009)

Always an air of mystery or uncertainty surrounding The Hope Conspiracy due to their status and rare live appearances, the group provides us with a bit of a tease in the three-song EP, True Nihilist in order to remind people that they are still out there lurking on the edge of existence stewing in whatever fuels the angry sounds for … Read more

City of Ships

Look What God Did to Us
Translation Loss/Sound Study (2009)

Occasionally, a member of the staff at Scene Point Blank will write a piece on an artist of which I'm not entirely familiar. As a result, I will have to do some investigating in order to make sure all facts are straight. Every once in a while this leads to my becoming a fan of the group. It's been a … Read more

Forensics Sonic Victimization Unit

Deathscream
Magic Bullet (2009)

About the only comment that I could muster when I saw the existence of this release was an extremely emphatic, "NICE! A new Forensics record," before promptly heading over to the Magic Bullet web store and ordering the extremely limited CD (only 88 copies and a few additional that did not meet the artistic standards of the group). Even though … Read more

GREYMACHINE

Disconnected
Hydra Head (2009)

Certainly, GREYMACHINE is a group whose mere existence is enough to generate interest and the inevitable hype considering its composition of some rather prominent members of the "extreme" music community. Seriously though, how could it not comprising members of Isis, Godflesh, Jesu, and tons more? The real question, at least if we concentrate on the actual content of Disconnected should … Read more

Mellowdrone

Angry Bear
Coming Home (2009)

Los Angeles by way of Boston by way of Miami by way of Venezuela, Mellowdrone return with a second full-length recording in a career that now spans ten years. While the first five years saw Mellowdrone remarkably productive as a solo venture releasing a series of EP's, it took a while to produce the first long player. The now trio … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Red Fang

Red Fang
Sargent House (2009)

Bold, in your face stoner rock from members of Bad Wizard and Party Time. If you like your rock heavy with Sabbath sprinkled into the mix, Red Fang are your guys. Curiously, the first four songs blast your face off. Then later on, it got a bit too Nirvana-esque for me song structure wise. "Reverse Thunder" will singe your eyebrows … Read more

200 Words Or Less

We'll Go Machete

We'll Go Machete
Cedar Fever (2009)

Austin, Texas natives We'll Go Machete offer six songs on their debut EP, released through indie label Cedar Fever Records, also based in Austin. It comes in a cardboard sleeve, which for a CD release isn't much plus, there are no lyrics. Over these six songs, We'll Go Machete, blast through twenty minutes of alternative influenced hardcore punk. If you … Read more

200 Words Or Less

A Kid Named Thompson / Altus

Split
Seafoam (2009)

Two newcomers from Texas team up for a split 7" release. You get one track each, generally falling within the bounds of the indie music circuit. A Kid Named Thompson is not a one-man emo guitarist - thank goodness. This three-piece outfit instead offers up "Fall Down," a three-minute venture of upbeat pop-rock. I'd liken them to Jimmy Eat World, … Read more

200 Words Or Less

No Harm Done / Offsides

Split
Seafoam (2009)

Seafoam Recordings teams up No Harm Done from Florida and Offsides from Connecticut on this limited edition split 7". The a-side features the final three tracks from No Harm Done, who just recently called it quits. This Floridian outfit continues their melodic hardcore and punk assault that follows the lead of Strike Anywhere and Rise Against. I've always found this … Read more

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