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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)

The Black Heart Procession

The Spell
Touch & Go (2006)

The Black Heart Procession has been producing challenging, dark indie rock for almost ten years now. Formed by members of the band Three Mile Pilot - who will also be releasing a new album sometime this year or next after an extended absence since 1998 - The Black Heart Procession have consistently released some of the moodiest sounding albums on record. Incorporating piano, violins (and other strings), and the occasional saw in addition to the normal guitar, bass, drums rock format, the band uses whatever instrumentation necessary to fashion their musical backdrop. By combining this instrumental palette with oddly enthralling melodies and harmonic vocal arrangements, The Black Heart Procession vividly creates narrative compositions (as evidenced by the full-length movie The Tropics of Love that solely utilized The Black Heart Procession album Amore del Tropico to provide the sound and develop the story instead of dialog) that often capture the imagination of the listener. The Spell is the newest (and first in four years) full-length album from this San Diego based group. It is a powerful return to the forms and themes explored on their first three albums (entitled 1, 2, 3 respectively). This record is a tremendous collection of dark, … Read more

Banner Pilot

Pass the Poison
Arsenic Records (2006)

For anyone who is not from the Upper Midwest, the first thing they will think about when it comes to … Read more

Murder By Death

In Bocca Al Lupo
East West/Tent Show (2006)

Music is an art, and oftentimes musicians will use their art to tell a story - concept albums have become … Read more

Serpe

A Night in Gin's Hollow
Home Recorded Culture (2006)

I don't think I can do it. I consider myself to be at least a capable writer, but it's going … Read more

The Flaming Lips

At War With the Mystics
Warner Bros. (2006)

Even months before its release, it seemed as if everyone had already assumed that the latest record from The Flaming … Read more

Disappearer

Disappearer
Trash Art (2006)

Disappearer is the latest creative outlet for the majority of the short lived band, There Were Wires (which also includes … Read more

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One from the archives

What Goes Up

Laws of Gravity
Brassneck Records, Rad Girlfriend Records, Waterslide Records (2023)

Based on the name, pop-punk sounds like a limited genre. There are a million bands that sound like the Ramones. There are also a million copycats of that stuff that hit big in the early Aughts. But we aren’t going there… What Goes Up proves that you can make emotional, driving, yet poppy punk rock tunes that vary in sound from one track to the next while also clearly fitting in-genre. This band from Japan play short, fast, and tight singalong songs with mostly sugary vocals. “Mostly” is the operative word here. Indi’s bright voice establishes a sunny disposition, but then Matty’s brings the contrast with super-gruff backing vocals and harmonies. It’s a tale of two worlds -- bright and dark -- with both coming together for something enjoyable yet … Read more

More album reviews

Ghostface Killah

Fishscale
Def Jam (2006)

If "The Champ" has not, by the time of publication, been mass produced onto 12" record and shipped to every club DJ in the hip-hop speaking world then there is something truly fucked with the world. You see, with summer fast approaching the dance floors of the world are screaming out for a new jam that will make women emit … Read more

First Blood

Killafornia
Trustkill (2006)

In the year 2002, hardcore/metal outfit Sworn Vengeance was on the brink of blowing up. The band had finished recording what I consider to be the best album to never see a proper release, Outstretched Arms of Damnation. In addition the band was about to embark on a tour as direct support to Hatebreed. But fame and glory were just … Read more

Angels and Airwaves

We Don't Need to Whisper
Geffen (2006)

So Tom DeLonge finally got his way. Apparently sick of the scatological humor of Blink 182 and ill-received attempts at maturity, the band broke up and he was free to record the album that would be "the greatest album of [his] career." Hyperbole aside, this record is, according to DeLonge, "more than an album, and more than just a cool … Read more

Less Than Jake

In With the Out Crowd
Sire (2006)

I'm a huge Less Than Jake fan. Hello Rockview is one of my favorite albums ever recorded, so when I heard that the band would be working with Howard Benson (who produced that stellar record) to record In With the Out Crowd, I was pretty excited. The band commented on the record saying that the material would be leaning more … Read more

Cherubs

Uncovered by Heartbeat
Morphius (2006)

There's been a trend as of late among American bands to become popular by sounding British, most notably The Killers, The Bravery and Interpol. This isn't always a bad thing - it started out almost clever and cute, like in the 60's when all these American groups were trying to cash in on The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. But … Read more

The Lovely Lads

The Best You've Got
Eating Rats (2006)

The Lovely Lads score some major points with me right away by using Pulp Fiction themed artwork in their layout for The Best You've Got. Sure it isn't the most original idea ever in the history of recorded music or even in punk rock and hardcore, but it beats seeing CD cover after cover of Jacob Bannon wannabe skull and … Read more

Boy Sets Fire

The Misery Index: Notes from the Plague Years
Equal Vision (2006)

In 2001 Boy Sets Fire recorded an album that many consider to be the band's finest hour, After the Eulogy, for Victory Records. The band was becoming bigger and bigger, and were ultimately snatched up by major label Wind-Up Records in 2002. The following year brought an EP, Live for Today, a teaser for an upcoming full length. Later that … Read more

Elphaba

Any Land But This
Rome Plow (2006)

Elphaba is a noisy band that at times is reminiscent of the sound of The Blood Brothers mixed with No Kill No Beep Beep-era Q and Not U. Upon first listen, their album, Any Land But This, is a very difficult record to digest. But, repeated listening showed the album to have several interesting qualities. "Long Decay Slow Delay" not … Read more

Fight Pretty

Blood Migration: The Year One Collection
Sleep Walk (2006)

Discography releases are a great thing, when they are deserved, that is. When a band has only released material on vinyl or defunct labels and it has long since gone out of print, a discography release on CD is great. On the other hand, if a band has only been around a short while and their releases (vinyl or CD) … Read more

Adam Green

Jacket Full of Danger
Rough Trade (2006)

Adam Green was half of the ardour and madness that was Moldy Peaches, half of what was behind the animal suits and make up. And you know, whoever would have thought that behind all of that craziness was a songwriter of such quality and grace? Jacket Full of Danger is Adam's fourth solo album in five years. It sees a … Read more

Sick of it All

Death to Tyrants
Abacus (2006)

Does this band honestly need any kind of introduction? Seriously, Sick of it All is an institution in the punk and hardcore scene. Having been active for over twenty years at this point, the band has truly hit on a creative renaissance of late with their last album Life on the Ropes being a return to some of the heaviest … Read more

Hi Red Center

Architectural Failures
Pangaea Recordings (2005)

Hi Red Center hail from Brooklyn, New York and Architectural Failures is their debut record, initially recorded in 2004 but finding a home the following year at Pangaea Recordings, home of Capillary Action. The band mixes a wide variety of influences to creature the fairly unique offering which is presently spinning around in my stereo. Opener "Red/Green" is an Apple … Read more

Venom

Metal Black
Sanctuary (2006)

Anton LaVey, Richard Ramirez, and Phil Knight. Three famous individuals who, despite being all about the evil and doing their part to ensure eternal damnation, they still don't hold a black candle to three young boys from the north of England, who've done more for Satan's public relations than anyone ever could. Conrad Lant, Jeff Dunn, and Tony Bray, otherwise … Read more

Tides

From Silence
Teenage Disco Bloodbath (2006)

Tides have undergone a number of changes since we last heard from them on 2005's Resurface. Most notably, the band has added a second guitar player in Tim Fickeisen and they've picked up and moved from rural upstate New York for the metropolis of Boston. And even with those dramatic changes, Tides remain a focused rock outfit playing airy instrumental … Read more

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