Bulldozer
The Hammers
Motherbox (2008)
Sadly this is not a album by recently reformed Italian thrashers Bulldozer but a disc made by a New York band playing bog-standard punk rock with melodic and shouty sing-along choruses. It's hard to get wet and excited over another punk band that has flashes of rock'n roll and sounds like they came straight from the practice room - especially since most have probably heard, by estimation, around eight poorly produced albums of the same sound with tin-pot drumming this month alone. Last time was probably when your kid brother's band played in front of twelve people in some dive bar. The problem is not that the music on The Hammers is thoroughly bad but that it's just bland and doesn't inspire any reaction. Bulldozer is the quintessential bar band - there to play songs like "The Cocksmen/ Gravedigger" to whoever wants to hear jokey rock' n roll in the vein of Guttermouth on a Tuesday evening and doesn't mind the utter lack of variety. The guys are probably aware of and content with the situation. Throw in some thoroughly meat-headed lyrics - apart from "Guido Beach" which did raise a smile - and you have a recording likely to … Read more
Disappearer
The Clearing
Magic Bullet (2009)
Massachusetts-based Disappearer returns with their long-awaited second release. The Clearing marks the band's first full-length effort, which follows up the … Read more
We're All Broken
Blacktop Cry
Devildance (2009)
We're All Broken's name may sound familiar to you because they've opened for a lot of big names like Thursday, … Read more
Alexisonfire
Old Crows/Young Cardinals
Vagrant (2009)
I've always considered Alexisonfire one of the "better bands" in the whole "post-hardcore" scene or whatever you want to call … Read more
Paint It Black
Amnesia
Bridge Nine (2009)
I hate to be that guy, but I got to admit that it's getting more and more difficult to find … Read more
