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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)

Impiety

Dominator
Pulverised (2008)

A year after they released their latest full-length, Impiety spit out a mini album where they sound just as fierce as the relentless attack of their previous works. This is the kind of death/black metal that you would expect when it comes from countries not famous for their vibrant music scenes. The characteristics are that their Satanic imagery always sounds like it is meant more seriously then in Europe and/or America. We also get some excellent new additions to the English dictionary as usual - Slaughterror from the first song this time round. After an eerie intro we immediately get a tone setter for this piece in the shape of "Slaughterror Superiority" with evil sounding lyrics and insanely fast bass drumming that drives forward the buzzsaw guitar riffing. The sound is genuinely raw because it is the result of friction and has a certain type of abrasiveness to it. "Dominator" is even faster and will quite possibly be a live favorite with its call-to-arms chorus and the lyrics are, unsurprisingly, very religion-bashing. A cover is included here and the choice is a cult classic, namely "The Black Vomit" by the legendary Sarcofago, a song that Impiety do justice on this … Read more

Smartbomb

Diamond Heist
Think Fast! (2008)

Smartbomb return with their debut full-length, Diamond Heist, following the quite promising debut EP Chaos and Lawlessness. The band's first … Read more

Fear Falls Burning

Frenzy of the Absolute
Conspiracy (2008)

Damn, is there a trend going on with single member bands or am I just now picking up on this … Read more

Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip

Angles
Sunday Best (2008)

If you have the good/bad fortune to live in the U.K., you will in all likelihood have a fairly limited … Read more

Rocket from the Crypt

All Systems Go Volume 3
Vagrant/Swami (2008)

Leaving behind a recording legacy as large as Rocket from the Crypt is doing rates fairly high on the impressive … Read more

An Albatross

An Albatross Family Album
Eyeball (2008)

With their first release since 2006, An Albatross decided to get serious: they spent five weeks in the studio with … Read more

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One from the archives

Stone Temple Pilots

Stone Temple Pilots
Atlantic (2018)

Jeff Gutt has a thankless task before him. Some might say impossible, even. He's replacing Scott Weiland, one of the most loved and recognizable frontmen of the last 30 years, who tragically died far too young.He's also replacing Chester Bennington, Weiland's replacement who, after leaving Stone Temple Pilots and returning to Linkin Park, also tragically died far too young.So what was bassist and guitarist Robert and Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz to do? Do they retire the STP name and continue on with a new project? Or do they continue on as Stone Temple Pilots with another new singer?Both paths are frought with peril. Do the former, and you potentially lose half your fanbase essentially starting over.Do the latter, and you potentially lose half your fanbase who feel somehow … Read more

More album reviews

Mamiffer

Hirror Ennifer
Hydra Head (2008)

Hirror Ennifer is the debut album from Mamiffer the new project from Faith Coloccia and a revolving cast of co-conspirators including Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom, Grey Machine, etc), Chris Common (These Arms Are Snakes), Brian Cook (These Arms Are Snakes, Botch, Russian Circles), Ryan Fredrickson (These Arms Are Snakes, Narrows), and Anne Hozoji Matheson-Margullis (Helms Alee). Just that … Read more

Beck

Modern Guilt
Interscope (2008)

Beck has been releasing music for going on twenty years now. Since his first release, the multi-talented musician and songwriter has been labeled everything from an underground sensation and an alternative rock phenom to a one-hit-wonder and a mainstream sellout. Throughout the years and the labeling - which has included on more than one occasion the above - Beck has … Read more

Flight of the Conchords

Flight of the Conchords
Sub Pop (2008)

When a friend sent me a YouTube link for some live Flight of the Conchords footage a couple of years ago, I was very skeptical. "I don't like comedy music!" I screeched, flapping my arms up and down. Which I don't. It's very rarely as funny as it believes itself to be, which is always made worse when it inexplicably … Read more

Sigur Rós

Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
EMI/XL Recordings (2008)

The consistently elusive Sigur Rós returns to bless our ears with more soft-spoken Icelandic genius. Is that too much? Perhaps, but this is coming off of their double-disc collection of b-sides Hvarf-Heim released barely a year ago, not to mention the extensive touring they have done in between. I first heard Sigur Rós being played in between sets of a … Read more

Liturgy

Immortal Life
Unfun (2008)

Describing a band, group, or musical project as transcendental is a dangerously brash decision Without getting into the actual philosophical background of what transcendental means, labeling oneself as such could come off as high self praise. Liturgy is a one man (driven by one Hunter Hunt-Hendrix) black metal project from New York in the States which describes itself as pure … Read more

Hank Williams III

Damn Right, Rebel Proud
Curb (2008)

We have Taylor Swift and then we have Hank III. The former is the public face of country music today. Sweet, sassy, cute-as-a-button and considered the real deal because she "writes all or part" of all her songs. Hank Williams III is the real real deal. Brash, outspoken and doesn't give a fuck. He will never be the public face … Read more

M83

Saturdays=Youth
Mute (2008)

The French are good at many things. Food. Art. Aquatic nuclear shenanigans. But despite being one of the cultural centers of Europe, France never seems to have really mastered music. Perhaps it's my brutish Britannic ignorance, but I struggle to name many decent French bands. Air are good. I've heard some decent French hip-hop. And then there's M83. Manned and … Read more

Eagles of Death Metal

Heart On
Downtown (2008)

Josh Homme wants it to be clear: Eagles of Death Metal is not a side project. Though he rakes in most of his dough and critical acclaim with Queens of the Stone Age, drumming for Eagles of Death Metal brings him just as much satisfaction as his big band does. Probably because he gets to play with his childhood friend, … Read more

The Quit

Minus Tide
Tindrum (2008)

Starting an indie album with a song called "Manchester" is a little bit like putting the word "Metaphor" in the title of a poem. It's obvious; a red flag. Given Manchester's place in the history of indie albums, it's about as subtle as the dude in the chicken suit outside the tire shop. HEARTBROKEN POP!! reads the sandwich board, heavy … Read more

Sunn 0)))

Dømkirke
Southern Lord (2008)

Dømkirke is a live Sunn 0))) album recorded at Bergen Cathedral of Bergen, Norway as part of the Borealis Festival 2007. The twelfth-century cathedral was a perfect setting for the March 2007 performance that also featured Attlia Csihar on vocals, Steve Moore on pipe organ, and Lasse Marhaug on electronics. The double album was a vinyl-only release with absolutely stunning … Read more

Git Some

Cosmic Rock
1-2-3-4 Go! (2008)

Git Some is a band which has been around a bit and actually predates the participation of two of its members (Chuck French and Neil Keener) in the much vaunted group, Planes Mistaken for Stars (even though many will consider this a new band featuring ex-members of said well known group for which they would be wrong). Git Some is … Read more

Intronaut

Prehistoricisms
Century Media (2008)

Every so often you just want a metal album that is that, a metal album. Well here we have just that with the latest full-length from Intronaut. Prehistoricisms is a heavy metal album that is not a concept album, but an album based upon the theme of evolution. I can dig that, especially when the music is - at its … Read more

Gnaw Their Tongues

An Epiphanic Vomiting of Blood
Crucial Blast (2008)

Gnaw Their Tongues is almost completely indescribable, it is a project that simply needs to be heard to be believe. Forget understanding it as the primitive emotional outbursts that pepper the sounds on their records as these compositions seem to aim at leaving listeners aghast at the emanations of sound. An Epiphanic Vomiting of Blood is the latest recording from … Read more

Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst
Merge (2008)

It's rather interesting that I've found the work of Bright Eyes to be wholly underwhelming since the release of Fevers and Mirrors back in 2000. Sure, there are been standout tracks throughout the years, but as a whole, not one entire album has quite captured the sincerity, the emotion, and the songwriting skills that Conor Oberst displayed on that album. … Read more

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