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Short Fuse

Blight
Assault (2007)

Short Fuse is a hardcore punk outfit from Münster, Germany. The four-piece outfit delivers six tracks of fast and raw hardcore punk. "Blight" packs a mean punch with its gritty guitars and Seb's yelled vocals, which reminded me a little bit of Fucked Up's Pink Eyes. The majority of the songs on this 7" occupy the territory of mid-tempo hardcore, … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Anti-Flag

A Benefit for Victims of Violent Crime
A-F (2007)

Anti-Flag has always been a band about raising awareness, but usually the subject is tied to our country's government in some manner. The band continues on with this EP, but instead of enlightening Americans about the evils of the U.S. government the band is raising awareness and monetary funds to help victims of violent crimes, something that hits close to … Read more

The Mountain Goats

Heretic Pride
4AD (2008)

After hearing The Sunset Tree, I was certain that John Darnielle was incapable of writing songs that even hint at happiness. Hope is abundant, but joy is absent. His songs are stories of lives endured. Each album is an anthology of damaged characters trying to survive unfortunate circumstances. Heretic Pride makes that leap from hope to joy, the overall mood … Read more

Asbestoscape

Asbestoscape
Independent (2007)

Now here is an album that deserves some attention. This review was actually a long time in coming because I originally discovered it via a blog as early as last October. It quickly became a staple soundtrack for long, mind-numbing walks I would have to make on chilly autumn nights. It has a somewhat gloomy atmosphere, but it is by … Read more

The Steal

The Steal
Get Outta Town (2007)

Fast, melodic, hardcore punk infused with melody. That is the short and sweet description of what you can expect from The Steal's debut full-length, The Steal, which is a fourteen-track effort that clocks in at just over twenty minutes. The Steal begins with "Breakout," a near two-minute slab of melodic hardcore that draws equally from the likes of Kid Dynamite … Read more

Desoto Jones

Aurora
Deep Elm (2007)

Before I even really get into this review, I just need to let everyone out there in Scene Point Blank-land know that this album actually contains the lyric "You are speed bump in everyone's life." Not only is this line in the chorus which makes it repeated a few times, it's also the opening track under the same name. Speed … Read more

Collapsar

Integers
Escape Artist (2007)

Let's be honest here, if a band is going to be an instrumental group that is completely devoid of vocals than they need to be pretty damn impressive to make up for that obviously lacking human element from the group's oeuvre. Collapsar are an entirely instrumental group that I have been drawn to checking out because of their usually eye … Read more

Pyongyang Metro

Tower of White Tigers
Arsenic (2007)

Pyongyang Metro is a tough band to separate from their other projects. The band shares members with Off With Their Heads, Rivethead, and Banner Pilot - bands with a unifying sound that's hard to dismiss. Tower of White Tigers, their debut release, is a different beast. It is the second release from Arsenic Records who, per their outdated Myspace page, … Read more

Trial

Reunion / Retrospective
Panic (2008)

If there were one band that I felt characterized both the sound and ideals of hardcore in the 1990's, it would be Trial. The Northwest hardcore outfit delivered a focused and aggressive mixture of hardcore, punk, and metal influences to crowds of all sizes during their original tenure. They partnered this brute, metallic music written by co-founder and guitarist Timm … Read more

Mother Night

Lifestyle / Deathstyle
Off the Books (2007)

Hailing from New Jersey (which as The Nerve Agents put it is the "Heart of Hardcore"), Mother Night drops a wicked set of jams on Lifestyle / Deathstyle for us to listen to their abundance of energy and enthusiasm. An honest band that exudes New Jersey in all its harshness, these guys come from a very typical Jersey background of … Read more

Genghis Tron

Board Up the House
Relapse (2008)

Genghis Tron occupies a very precarious place in the world of music. Unlike most "polarizing" bands like The Locust or Blut Aus Nord, Genghis Tron does not have a "demographic" to appeal to. And let me explain. Genghis Tron is a three-piece synth-riding experimental metal band. Or, on the other hand, you could just as easily call them a blast-beat … Read more

Burning Witch

Crippled Lucifer
Southern Lord (2008)

Hot damn, where have you been all my life Burning Witch! Apparently, as Aaron Turner documents in his liner notes contribution for this two disc CD set (the special edition includes a download card to grab the band's demo and live songs while the Japanese version is a mammoth three CD set) entitled Crippled Lucifer, Burning Witch has "traveled the … Read more

Paint It Black

New Lexicon
Jade Tree (2008)

In the world of hardcore punk there is nary a person so forward thinking as Dan Yemin. This thought applies to all aspects of his band Paint it Black: presentation, politics, and, as highlighted on New Lexicon, production. During an interview I held with Yemin, he pointed to hip-hop as an inspiration to keep things fresh and inventive, stating "The … Read more

Blunderbuss

Blunderbuss
Escape Artist (2007)

Blunderbuss may at first be notable to some because it contains a member of Don Caballero, Jeff Ellsworth. But trust me, this album ought to stand out in its own right. This is one of the most innovative and refreshing albums I've heard in a while. It draws on a number of genres for inspiration, but truly belongs to none … Read more

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