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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)

Constants

The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril
Radar (2006)

I'm a sucker for sprawling, epic rock music. Mogwai, Isis, M83, etc... You name it, I'm in. There's just something about music that slowly draws you in and hypnotizes you that really fuels my engine. About six months ago, my band was scheduled to play a show at this awful venue that pretty much everyone avoids. Of course, we ended up playing to only a handful of people. After our set, as we all began downing as many drinks as humanly possible, the headlining band took the stage. The house lights went down and a few floodlights illuminated the mysterious figures on stage as they slowly crept into their first song. The band was Constants. They played sprawling, epic rock music. I was quite pleased. The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril, the latest Constants EP, is a satisfying representation of what I initially heard that night. While the production could be better, the music never fails to suck you in. All four of the tracks that comprise the EP are nothing less than powerful indie-rock soundscapes that weave melody and energy into one capacious whole. These are songs in which you can easily lose yourself. But, The Murder of Tom Fitzgerril … Read more

AFI

Decemberunderground
Interscope (2006)

The precursor to Decemberunderground was that it was a change from what AFI have offered before. Of course, all that … Read more

AFI

Decemberunderground
Interscope (2006)

For AFI, the name of the game has always been about evolution. About "out-doing" themselves one time after another. I … Read more

AFI

Decemberunderground
Interscope (2006)

AFI managed to write over 100 songs for this album. That's an amazing feat for a band, right? But anyone … Read more

AFI

Decemberunderground
Interscope (2006)

There are certain phrases that seem to be ever-present in AFI reviews across the music journalism world, suggesting either a … Read more

Morrissey

Ringleader of the Tormentors
Sanctuary (2006)

Age gives you a great sense of proportion. You can be very hard on yourself when you're younger but now … Read more

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One from the archives

Neon Cities

Toulouse
Independent (2018)

The fourth in a string of 2018 releases from Denver-based synth duo Neon Cities, the Toulouse single presents a pair of tracks that showcase distinct sides of the group's sound. With warm synth and hazy, barely there vocals placed on top of a relaxed rhythm and buzzing bass groove,the more pop-oriented title track creates a nostalgic 1980s vibe replete with a bubbling and hopeful chorus. Despite keyboard work that is, at times, rather busy, "Toulouse" is chilled out and almost soothing. As its name suggests, second track "Storm on the Isle" has a more pensive, maybe even slightly haunting mood built around arpeggios. The track conveys, to me, a sense of loneliness, but never becomes outright bleak. A fine audio mix is showcased here in the form of rumbling thunder … Read more

More album reviews

This is Hell

Sundowning
Trustkill (2006)

This sounds like what could have been the missing link between American Nightmare's two full-length LPs, the straightforward brilliance of Background Music and the more eccentric but equally great We're Down 'Til We're Underground; This Is Hell are certainly keeping hardcore fresh and new-sounding, but they're not straying so far away from their roots as to render them unrecognizable. I'll … Read more

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 … 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 the climate is how freaking cold it gets in the Winter. This is especially true when it comes to the frozen tundra of my home state of Minnesota. Hell, even Minneapolis won a Weather Channel countdown as the coldest city … 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 increasingly popular in recent years. Murder by Death dabbled in this genre with their previous effort, Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left of Them?. And while they have cast aside the extended storyline from their new full-length, In … 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 to be hard as hell to do a review of this album in any kind of acceptable length without five or ten non-sequiturs skewing off into long-winded tales of personal medical scares, pet deaths, and the time I was an … 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 Lips would effectively mark the end of the band's run as alternative rock's quirky reigning champions. When the first single from At War With the Mystics hit the airwaves, I was almost inclined to believe that it was indeed over. … 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 a member of Doomriders). Whereas their previous outfits were and are more metal oriented, Disappearer is a post-rock group more akin to bands like Pelican and Red Sparowes (both of which they share a definite similarity) that also eschew the … Read more

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

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