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Samothrace

Life's Trade
20 Buck Spin (2008)

Doom metal is something that's an acquired taste; either you're a fan of it or you're not, and those who are fans of it will probably go crazy over Kansas four-piece Samothrace's latest offering, Life's Trade. It's a four song album that's roughly fifty minutes long and has no shortage on heaviness. Samothrace are one of the more interesting bands … Read more

Deep Snapper

Into the Ugly
Edna Peppers (2008)

Deep Snapper is back with another album of almost familiar songs that bring to mind a type of punk rock that is largely forgotten in this age of radio friendly pop punk bands with starry eyes. Into the Ugly is the third release for the Texas three-piece known as Deep Snapper, and at twelve songs, it gives listeners a large … Read more

End of a Year

End of a Year
Deathwish Inc. (2009)

Yes, End of a Year give us yet another new record into which we can sink our collective teeth (if one so chooses) and its three songs might just be the best work that they can lay claim (outside my favorite song of theirs still, "Harrison"). This Albany, New York, crew truly give three crisp, D.C. hardcore inspired tracks of … Read more

Valina

A Tempo! A Tempo!
Joyful Noise (2009)

For a band whose hyperbolic press sheet claims they've played 75,854 shows in their eleven year history (that's only 18.88 per day by my count) you'd think I would have seen them a few times already, perhaps in my living room or local bowling alley. I have no idea how many of those shows have brought the Austrian band to … Read more

Amesoeurs

Amesoeurs
Profound Lore (2009)

Isn't it ironic that a band whose name means "kindred spirits" in French is broken up? As depressing as that fact is, at least Amesoeurs has finally left us one full-length to remember them by. The band's Ruines Humaines EP from 2006 was comprised of three absolutely killer songs that can be only described as residing somewhere between organic black … Read more

Old Man's Child

Slaves of the World
Century Media (2009)

It's been about four years since the last Old Man's Child record and it seems we've been waiting forever for it. The current Dimmu Borgir guitarist Galder has gotten a little more exposure since joining the well-known symphonic metal group, but he hasn't forgotten about his original melodic black metal project, now on album number seven, titled Slaves Of the … Read more

Gatorface

Sick and Stupid
Paper + Plastick (2009)

The name had me thinking hardcore, and the inclusion of ex-New Mexican Disaster Squad only solidified that thought, but Gatorface plays pretty much straight-up pop punk with a strong 80s influence. The Gainesville band sounds more like 1980's California bands from the formative years of pop punk than it owes to its peninsula contemporaries. This is the debut EP from … Read more

Deep Snapper

A Drowning Man Can Pull You Under
Edna Peppers (2007)

Hailing from Texas, Deep Snapper give listeners A Drowning Man Can Pull You Under, a roiling ten track album that pops the whole time that it plays with nary a downtime in sight. Okay, maybe there are some slower numbers but they augment the record. After reading about them being similar to Dead Kennedy's mixed with the Minutemen, I am … Read more

Skeletons with Flesh on Them

All the Other Animals
Independent (2009)

"I'm about to sell five copies of All the Other Animals by Skeletons with Flesh on Them." I can totally picture some chap that works at an independent record store in the Pacific Northwest reinventing the famous scene from High Fidelity in this manner - likely his favorite film - to 'suade customers into purchasing this album. And if said … Read more

How Dare You

Comfort Road
Fail Safe (2008)

This is the second review that I've done from Fail Safe Records that involves at least one member from a 90's melodic hardcore band that I like. This time it's As Friends Rust, whom will probably go down in mix tape history by having the audacity of having a song called, "The First Song on the Tape You Make Her." … Read more

Nadja

Numbness
Happy Prince (2009)

Numbness is an excellent collection of rarities and previously unreleased material from the increasingly prolific two-piece known as Nadja. Aidan Baker and Leah Buckeroff are nothing if not active and this release is not one of those "for collectors only" type releases for completists. In fact, Numbness contains what is arguably some of the group's best material. The six tracks … Read more

Volcano!

Paperwork
The Leaf Label (2008)

Now, I am an extremely misanthropic individual. I generally enjoy disliking things (and people) almost as much as I enjoy liking them. There is a perverse pleasure in mild hatred, a smug sense of self-justification when you can hover above the morons of this world and curl your lip in distaste at their floundering attempts at humanity. When this is … Read more

La Crisi

II - Tutti a Pezzi
Hurry Up! (2008)

Is there any better imagery than broken teeth? La Crisi don't seem to think so. Given the ferocity on II - Tutti a Pezzi I have to wonder if the cover image is what singer Mayo's mouth looks like after a particularly violent show. When it comes to namedropping influences, there are plenty of good ones for this band: Bad … Read more

Swan Lake

Enemy Mine
Jagjaguwar (2009)

n theory, this band should be really, really fucking good - a supergroup composed of three accomplished artists already involved with various supergroups of their own. Dan Bejar (Destroyer, New Pornographers), Carey Mercer (Frog Eyes, Blackout Beach) and Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown) collaborating and throwing around their signature esoteric surrealist sounds like a aural feast. Buzz surrounding Enemy … Read more

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