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Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

In the Red

Volume 2
Suburban Home (2009)

California's In the Red always fell under the radar to me until I decided to listen to vocalist/guitarist, Mike Hale's latest solo album, Lives Like Mine. I really liked this album and his other solo work and was impressed enough with his acoustic outing to give In the Red's sophomore record, Volume 2 a chance. Unfortunately, I was let down as it appears that Hale is stronger by himself rather than in his band. Coming off a decent first album, In the Red have decided to branch out a little more on Volume 2, and not in a good way. Their sophomore record shows the band going for a more rock approach, and when I say that I mean mainstream rock approach. It appears that they seem to have stripped back their sound a lot. Taking away a lot of the emotional punk anthems that were found on their first album and replacing them with a dull guitar tone and sleep-inducing ballads backed by cliche melodies. Volume 2 almost sounds like something that blends in with the whole post-grunge sound that has been overplayed to death. I'm usually not one to hate on bands for adapting a more mainstream sound, … Read more

Deep Sleep

Three Things at Once
Grave Mistake (2009)

Deep Sleep sound like 1980's LA hardcore. A good example is the dual vocals of "Alone with You," but with … Read more

The Sorely Trying Days

Survival Mode
Useless World (2009)

I knew next to nothing about this band before checking out this album but the fact that they are "recommended … Read more

Big China & Little Trouble

Black Blood of the Earth
Magic Bullet (2008)

Score one for the witty band name and reference to the cult movie of similar name, and score another for … Read more

Death Before Dishonor

Better Ways to Die
Bridge Nine (2009)

Boston natives Death Before Dishonor really broke through with their 2007 full-length Count Me In. Like it's predecessors, it featured … Read more

Detournement

Screaming Response
Chunksaah/Pirate Press (2009)

Detournement are an Eastcoast band with members from a host of familiar bands. Rather than focus on who they are, … Read more

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One from the archives

Tigers Jaw

Tigers Jaw
Prision Jazz (2008)

Everyone in the indie music world seems to be aiming for their own distinct sound and the Pennsylvanian quintet Tigers Jaw are just another mere tadpole in a big lake. With that being said, their self-titled album is very enjoyable and will probably be a big hit for those who are fans of 90's indie rock/emo(whatever it's considered). While their sound draws obvious influence from bands like The Get Up Kids, they do have a pretty unique sound compared some other bands out there today. There are two sides to Tigers Jaw; the upbeat guitar-driven indie rock side and the deeper more melancholic side, both of which are explored in the opening track, "The Sun." It begins with a few open chords and then slows down into a more sorrowful … Read more

More album reviews

Set Your Goals

This Will Be the Death of Us
Epitaph (2009)

Set Your Goals follows up their debut album, Mutiny!, with yet another fusion of pop punk and scarce hardcore elements. For those of you unfamiliar with Mutiny!, let me sum it up for you in a few brief sentences. It was light and fun. It was catchy at times. Yeah, I kind of dug it, but it got pretty textbook … Read more

This is Hell

Warbirds
Think Fast! (2009)

Long Island natives This is Hell have been going full-force since their formation in 2004. There has been an endless stream of releases - a demo, a couple of EP's, a split, and two full-lengths - through those years. The Warbirds 7" features three brand new songs and two cover songs, something the band seems to rather enjoy (previous covers … Read more

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

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

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

Reviews by score
Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)