Recent reviews

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)

Cremation Lily

Dreams Drenched In Static
Flenser (2022)

It has been quite a journey for Zen Zsigo and Cremation Lily, a path defined by constant flux. It was back in the early ‘10s, that the initial demos of the project appeared. Back then it was all about textural harshness, with Zsigo pushing the power electronics ethos. The initial chaos would subside, and from there on Cremation Lily explored a multitude of different sonic flavors and spaces. The industrial and noise tones of Lines of Golden Light and Fires Frame The Silhouette gave way to an ambient undertaking. Something that even reached a musique concrete essence in The Processes And Instruments of Normal People; Trying and Falling, Falling And Water Running. And from there on, pretty much anything was fair game. Ambient leanings merge with techno, strange cloud rap elements joining in and now for the latest offering in Dreams Drenched In Static a shoegaze trope is introduced. Dreams Drenched In Static is an amalgamation between the organic and the transcendental. On one hand, there are the beautiful melodic inclinations, at times appearing in an almost classical manner in the intro “Barely Remembered,” or closer “In Pain, Surrendering.” Grand emotive spaces are outlined, piano and strings making an appearance … Read more

Beex

The Early Years: 1979-1982
Beach Impediment (2021)

The beak is a feature predominantly found in birds but not limited to. A beak could also be located on … Read more

Annie Jump Cannon

Flourishing Apart
No Sleep (2022)

Every 15-20 years there’s a revival. This time it’s emo and Annie Jump Cannon may be a modern 2022 band, … Read more

Signals Midwest

Dent
Lauren Records (2022)

Signals Midwest play punk with a lot of words. Words arranged in actual sentences, telling stories instead of using the … Read more

GGGOLDDD

This Shame Should Not Be Mine
Artoffact (2022)

GGGOLDDD (formerly known as Gold) have always resisted fitting into a single mold. While their vision has hovered around an … Read more

Jalang

Santau
Heavy Machinery Records, Ruin Nation Records (2021)

2020 saw the release of Pontianak, the debut album of Lài. One year later (this review is very late, don’t … Read more

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One from the archives

Another Kind of Death

Sleepless Every Night
Underhill (2007)

Anyone that knows anything about gun safety knows that no one ever stuffs a loaded gun down the front of their pants. That's just a good way to blow your wiener off. Sure you may see movie or any random gangster rap video where some dillrod shoves a .357 down their drawers. What they don't show you is that in real life when some moron does this, he blows off his twig and berries. I only bring up this random gun holstering fact because the cover of Sleepless Every Night depicts some young lad with black fingernail polish (oh how edgy) reaching for a piece in the front of his Levi's. Well it looks like he's reaching for a gun. It's a fuzzy image so just humor me or my … Read more

More album reviews

Carthiefschool

Kenjimiyazawa
Transduction Records (2021)

Japanese based Carthiefschool formed in high school in 2016 and over these last 6 years or so have thrived in the Sapporo city underground scene. The 3 piece comprised of Tomoya Murosaki (guitar/vocals), Genki Tsusaka (bass) and Yudai Takasago (drums) have wasted little time recording as hot on the heels of their self titled debut album Carthiefschool released in February … Read more

Ghost

Impera
Loma Vista Recordings (2022)

Swedish theatrical rock outfit Ghost unleashed their fifth studio album entitled Impera at the beginning of March this year and for a little while the rock/metal community was saturated with interviews from Tobias Forge not to mention everyone and their dog were posting reviews of this new album. Sorry to be the one that prolongs this but I'm here to … Read more

Mad Brother Ward

Ugly Life
Ruined Records (2022)

Snarling, savage, sneering rabid dog on a thick chain lunging towards your soft neck in the area of your throbbing jugular. Spittle flies from the mouth of Mad Brother Ward as he foams and drools his venomous proclamation of an Ugly Life/I Just Wanna Die. For fans of Antiseen (Mad Brother Ward is the current guitarist), Confederacy of Scum, and … Read more

Sundown

Keep Moving
Wise Blood Records (2022)

It’s interesting that Sundown calls this record Keep Moving because, in many ways, it feels stuck in 2005. It’s a mix of melodic and chugging hardcore, with dual vocalists and two very different styles to breathe some extra life into it the format. At its best, Keep Moving recalls Avail while, at its worst, I’m brought back to those screamo … Read more

Mickey Leigh’s Mutated Music

Variants of Vibe
Wicked Cool Records (2022)

Hey Mickey you're so fine, You’re so fine you blow my mind Hey Mickey, Hey Mickey. “Do You remember lying in bed/ With the covers pulled up over your head/Radio Playing so no one can see”-Ramones I do remember getting my first cheap transistor army green radio and picking up on a local AM station that played the oldies/ goldies. … Read more

Swami John Reis

Ride The Wild Night
Swami (2022)

Rock ‘n’ roll is full of clichés. It pretty much has been one about 50 years now. And the many projects of Swami John Reis revel in these roots. Whether we’re talking about Rocket From The Crypt or Hot Snakes or Night Marchers, Reis has an ear for the concepts that are core to the style. But he has a … Read more

Loop

Sonancy
Reactor (2022)

The legends of old return! Loop were one of the visionaries acts of the late ‘80s, alongside other paragons like My Bloody Valentine and Spacemen 3. Despite their short-lived existence, Loop managed to shake the post-punk and indie rock scenes. Taking on many elements from the new wave lineage, Loop were not content with confinements. Their tools in escaping these … Read more

Book Review

Oasis

Knebworth – Two Nights That Will Live Forever
Cassell Publishing (2021)

Indulging in the seductive lies of nostalgia often means that rough edges are taken from the brittle pages of the good old days, especially when it comes to stories emanating from the realm of rock’n roll and the self-congratulatory celebrations of each generations’ hey-days. However, no matter if you hold Oasis in high esteem or not, it was quite something … Read more

La Armada

Anti-Colonial, Vol. 2
Mal De Ojo Records (2022)

I’ve been reading about the atrocities in Ukraine as I listen to Anti-Colonial, Vol. 2. Let’s just say that every act of imperialism is unique but combining listening to this record definitely highlights the brutal impact when a state tries to conquer a people. This record isn’t just political hardcore. It seethes with anger and inherited trauma. It’s a fucking … Read more

Sum of R

Lahbryce
Consouling Sounds (2022)

Reto Mäder has always moved into the occult and mysterious spaces with his project, Sum of R. Since their inception, Reto Mäder has not been content in settling on a particular sound or scene. Instead, Sum of R have been roaming freely on many different aspects of dark, experimental music. Their initial outings through Utech records displayed that much. Doom … Read more

Book Review

Radiohead

Kid A Mnesia: A Book of Radiohead Artwork
Canongate Books (2021)

Kid A was Radiohead’s fourth studio album, following the wildly successful OK Computer full-length, the wake of which found Thom Yorke and gang in a state that led them down a path culminating in a willingness to diverge from traditional rock music – not only musically but also as far as packaging and artwork is concerned, the latter of which … Read more

Scrunchies

Feral Coast
Dirtnap (2022)

I'm new to writing actual reviews of records. Don't get me wrong, I have opinions and I share them openly with everyone, even if they don't want to listen. Until this record, I really couldn't find much out there worth reviewing. The name of the band caught me. The fact that they have a record coming out on Dirtnap Records … Read more

Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders

There's Pretty Things in Palookaville
Hound Gawd! Records (2021)

“As the riders leaned on by him, he heard one call his name If you want to save your soul from hell a-riding on our range Then cowboy change your ways today or with us, you will ride Tryin' to catch the devil herd across these endless skies” Stan Jones Danny and the Juniors belted out that Rock and Roll … Read more

Nobro

Live Your Truth Shred Some Gnar
Big Scary Monsters (2022)

Sometimes I feel so incredibly dumb. I have a soft spot for Spanish punk bands and figured, based on the name, this could be filed as such. Sounded Spanish in my head at least. Until I came to their bandcamp, noticed this is a Canadian band and saw the band photo with four young women. I said the name out … Read more

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