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200 Words Or Less

The Midwestern

The Midwestern
Rorschach (2007)

This is what happens when a band has yet to find its style. What we have here is some decent songwriting that comes off as underdeveloped. The track "Molsen Golden" starts as a respectable jam with enough intricacy and tempo changes to call back memories of The Cancer Conspiracy and the forefathers of the style, King Crimson. Halfway through the … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Antelope

Reflector
Dischord (2007)

Sometimes simple repetition makes the biggest impact. Sometimes simple repetition makes the biggest impact. SOMETIMES SIMPLE REPETITION MAKES THE BIGGEST IMPACT. Obviously it isn't working for me, but D.C.'s Antelope make something seemingly annoying into a subtle art form. That is, if you're not easily annoyed. Most of the tracks on Reflector accentuate bare bones songwriting. Almost every track is … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Path to Misery

Demo
Independent (2007)

Path to Misery is a musical-collective from Pittsburgh, PA. The group of individuals involved focuses their attention of raising awareness of government actions, social issues, and other forward-thinking ideas through music. Musically, they set things to a soundtrack of abrasive hardcore with dashes of metal, d-beat, and grind thrown in for good measure. Their latest demo is comprised of three … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Wonder Years

Get Stoked on it!
No Sleep (2007)

I love Set Your Goals, but the popularity of the band's amalgamation of pop-punk and melodic hardcore has brought forth a million and a half wannabes. Sure, New Found Glory started it all (though they pretty much stuck to pop-punk), but I'll be damned if I haven't heard ten new clones this week alone. Philadelphia's The Wonder Years are the … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Division Day

Beartrap Island
Eenie Meenie (2007)

Division Day are a fairly new band from Los Angeles and they are going to turn some heads with their debut full-length, Beartrap Island. The four-piece band plays a delicate mix of indie and post-rock music. The songs on Beartrap Island fall someplace between the soft indie rock numbers that I would liken to Sunny Day Real Estate, the post-rock … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Honorary Title

Scream and Light Up the Sky
Reprise (2007)

Scream and Light Up the Sky has been a long long time coming. Three years have gone by since their last release. This album also has been in my hands for several months (I think I was mailed a copy like six months prior to its actual release). I liked it but let it slide to the wayside as I … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Motion City Soundtrack

Even if it Kills Me
Epitaph (2007)

If you're like me, the state of Minnesota is automatically associated with one of two things: 1) Mall of America and 2) Fargo. One is awesome because it has rollercoasters in it while the other single-handedly made me scared to ever visit the states of North Dakota and Minnesota for fear of ending up in a wood-chipper. Motion City Soundtrack … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Bulldoze

The Final Beatdown
Trip Machine Laboratories (2007)

The Final Beatdown is a complete discography of New York's kings of beatdown hardcore, thus the title. The release is comprised of a CD, which includes all the band's recorded material and a live set, and a DVD with over an hour of live footage. It's been over ten years since Bulldoze called it quits (they have reformed a number … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Badmouth

Strikes Again
Ghosthunt (2007)

Badmouth is the latest in the seemingly never-ending line of pissed off hardcore bands from Southern California. Strikes Again is their debut effort, which is actually their demo but in refurbished form via Ghosthunt Records. Over the course of these nine songs, Badmouth deliver fast-paced hardcore-punk with serious guitar whaling and bitter as hell lyrics. Musically, they remind me quite … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Failing Myself

Every Day
Rally Point (2007)

A cassette tape release? This is the third one I've received in the mail recently. I don't even know where you get these pressed anymore. Regardless, Every Day is a cool trip down memory lane to a time when Myspace didn't exist and band's relied on word of mouth to promote themselves. Failing Myself is a one-man musical project from … Read more

Wolves in the Throne Room

Two Hunters
Southern Lord (2007)

The terms "stripped-down," "raw," and "black metal" are certainly no strangers to each other. Musically speaking, some of the best known bands and albums feature less-than-lackluster production and songwriting, a standard set by older bands such as Darkthrone and Burzum, even if unintentionally. Visually and characteristically though, most black metal bands are infamous for being over-the-top, what with all the … Read more

Bracewar

Juggernaut
1917 (2007)

Is a band just as good if they don't have the hype? In today's hardcore scene, I feel like a lot of bands get passed over for lack of glorification and message board fame. Now, it's hard to tell if Bracewar is really one of those bands; I would say they are on the lower end of the fame spectrum, … Read more

Botch

Unifying Themes Redux / American Nervoso / We are the Romans (Reissues)
Hydra Head (2006)

How does one measure the influence and impact of a band on music? Sure, you could look at album sales, which in the case of The Beatles is a corollary that works, but then you could see how many albums a band like Godsmack or someone like Kenny Chesney has sold and just throw that idea out the window. Truly, … Read more

Oceansize

Frames
Superball (2007)

Staying certain to an unspoken pattern of two years between releases, Oceansize has returned to us with their third full-length album. Including the bonus track, "Voorhees," Frames clocks in at over a monstrous hour and fifteen minutes, a feat that similar, non-established progressive artists have little courage for testing on the streams of today's steadily decreasing attention spans. Brave you … Read more

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