To me, Hatebreed mark the pinnacle, as well as the end of an era for Victory Records. Satisfaction is the Death of Desire was the epitome of mid-90's hardcore: mosh heavy, distrusting, and pissed. Since then, Hatebreed as well as Victory Records have not necessarily become less credible (Victory had none anyways), but definitely watered down and weaker than their 90's incarnations. Hatebreed had two lukewarm albums, and Victory has made a task of shitting all over their past legacy. Victory will continue to release some of the worst music ever, but Hatebreed have come back big time. This is the true sequel to Satisfaction is the Death of Desire, proving that Hatebreed reigns supreme once again. Supremacy begins with the almost requisite ambient noise and background growls, and then bursts into "Defeatist," a track that seems to be straight out of Ringworm's book, then takes a bit of 100 Demons for the last mosh part. The fact of the matter is that this whole album takes the best of mosh metal/metalcore bands as an influence. Merauder's influence hangs over the opening riff to "Horrors of Self," then cuts into Integrity territory with the verse's riff. I'm done with namedropping, … Read more
Set it Straight is a band that truly deserves notoriety. Unfortunately, they really haven't gotten much attention outside of the … Read more
It's hard to say if stoner rock on a whole tries to be "epic" in a way that other instrumental … Read more
In retrospect, the sixties were a time of incredible music. While many aspects of the sound have influenced, been watered … Read more
Brian Simpson plays that sort of music that you feel like you've heard before but can't really remember when or … Read more
Cinemechanica are a math-rock quartet from Athens, Georgia. They are responsible for one of the most aurally exciting albums of … Read more
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There are certain times when I enjoy championing bands, and Young Widows' cause is definitely one that I find myself really enjoying. This split, their latest recording and first since 2006's Settle Down City, is something that I have been waiting for since I last saw them play when the band performed some new material for the first time in quite a while (that I had seen them anyway). Their partners in crime on this 7" record are the band Plows, a two-piece outfit from Louisville, Kentucky - surprise, surprise as these Louisville bands tend to stick together. Plows' contribution to the split is that of "Stalker Song," a humming track that definitely has an affinity to their partners on the split; the rhythm of the track contains a great … Read more
I like to look at pretty girls. It's easy for me; I live near a college and work at a gas station right next door to a gym called Lifetime Fitness of all things. So I get an eyeful of babes day in and day out. It's nice. I'm not trying to come off as a pervy old guy but … Read more
You could see this coming. You could see it from miles away if you listened closely and or fanatically collected the 7"s and albums from Young Widows previous incarnation as the unapologetically loud and noisy Breather Resist. The last 7" that they released, Full of Tongues, showcased a noisier but less loud sound to go along with their lock tight … Read more
According to the press blurb provided with Four Thirty, Midwestern natives The Great Crusades approached the songwriting process for their latest album in a way thus far unique to the band: the lyrics were written after the music, created to fit around the existing song structure. While I'm sure that some artists may be able to pull this off, the … Read more
Anyone who's been paying attention can see the writing on the wall: like Cock Sparrer in 1982, pop punk's coming back. Of course, it never really left; it's just seen a variety of mutations since the halcyon days of "Locket Love": The Descendents' heartsick catharsis, The Lillingtons' television city dreaming, and the thrift store angst of Saves the Day are … Read more
Archetypal scene dude: So yeah these guys are like super huge in Europe; I am sure they are going to hit it big over here. But I saw them like three years ago in like a port-a-potty with no electricity and they had a generator going to plug in their instruments. But you know they are socially conscious, so it … Read more
Everybody's got a little something to say about Robert Pollard these days. Drunk, father, master singer-vocalist. Many years ago, long before the advent of the Internet a close friend remarked how Pollard could basically do no wrong as he has the gift of having the voice of a bell. True enough. Once again, it's all here on display in Blues … Read more
By now all of should know who Isis is and what to expect from them in terms of their music output. A good number of you are probably familiar with Aereogramme - for those of you not, they're a Scottish band that mixes punishing metal with melodic moments and alt-rock vocals. So what's the deal with this In the Fishtank … Read more
For those that did not hear The Hope Conspiracy's recent teaser 7" Hang Your Cross (which was later released as a CD and in digital format), now is your chance. Let me just say, WOW! I figured that the new full-length, Death Knows Your Name, would be good (this opinion was solely based off of the quality of said 7"), … Read more
It is an awful shame that so many great indie bands often go unnoticed. As Tall as Lions is the perfect example of one of these bands. Here is a group who's already coming out on a small label, but also a label whose target audience is the complete opposite crowd that As Tall as Lions would normally appeal to. … Read more
Lamb of God and I go back a long way. Their second album, As the Palaces Burn, was the album that really got me into them. Actually, it was the album that got me into metal in general. It is one of the select few albums from the so-called "New Wave of American Metal" that has stood the test of … Read more
Spanish is a very musical language. It flows naturally with any rhythm and can accentuate the beauty of a melody like no other. For any artist, this particular romance language is a highly favorable ally. Nueva Etica, an aggressive hardcore/metal band from Argentina, fully embraces their native language. They are also relentlessly direct in their approach to the hardcore genre. … Read more
Sound Weave is a collaboration between Theta Naught and poet Alex Caldiero. Combining cello and bass ambiance with occasional drum theatrics, bewildering soundscapes, and the ardour and insanity of improvisational poetry, it aims to combine a musical experiment "in a symbiotic form with creative language-based explorations." In other words, it sets the words of Alex Caldiero to the music of … Read more
Within hardcore there lies a style of music that has come to known as beatdown. It is an interesting but narrow-minded sub-genre to the whole hardcore realm. Musically, the bands that play this style of music rely heavily on having ridiculously huge breakdowns. I wouldn't be surprised if they wrote the breakdowns first and then surrounded them with the rest … Read more
I haven't paid much attention to anything that Deep Elm has put out since Emo Diaries Volume #5. I always thought this label's marketing of the term "emo" was cheeky as they pawned off any band that had black-rimmed glasses as the next poster boys for shy teenage girls to adorn their room with. Then I heard a buzz floating … Read more
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