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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)

Lion of Judah

Soul Power
Lockin Out (2005)

Despite the obviously hippie-drawn, almost Narnian cover art, and a band name perhaps more likely to evoke visions of reggae or, even worse, Christian rock, Lion of Judah sound much more interested in the likes of Bad Brains and Fugazi than Bob Marley or Creed. Putting the DC back in hardcore - rightfully making it "harDCore" once again - Lion of Judah step up to the plate with an interesting four-song EP that both pays tribute to the genre's forefathers and carves out their own niche in today's increasingly homogenous scene. First the bad: this production blows. The guitars sound like they're being played at around 5 as opposed to the requisite 11; the mix is all drums and vocals. This is unfortunate because there's some interesting and deviant guitar work showing a cool post-hardcore influence interspersed throughout this EP. This highlight of the band's sound should have been pushed way closer to the foreground. Secondly, maybe it's just because they haven't grown on me (or it could even be the production), but the vocals sound incredibly weak to me. They more closely resemble a loud talking than a yell or scream, making them sound very reserved. Again, this is … Read more

Lifetime

Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey
Jade Tree (2006)

Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey is a two-disc set of everything Lifetime released besides Hello Bastards and Jerseys Best … Read more

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Show Your Bones
Interscope/Polydor (2006)

In wake of the hurricane of hype that followed the landing of The Strokes, I did my best knee jerk … Read more

Spitfire

Self-Help
Goodfellow (2006)

Before we begin, allow me to digress and give a bit of background on the monstrosity that is Spitfire, because … Read more

Ambitions

No Limits
Independent (2005)

Demos can be funny sometimes. They are called a demo for a reason; it's by no means a finished product. … Read more

Inara George

All Rise
Everloving/Loose (2005)

It's taken more than a year, but finally, Inara George's All Rise opus has been given a UK release. Readily … Read more

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One from the archives

Abstracter

Cinereous Incarnate
I Voidhanger Records (2018)

Loads of bands that I follow or followed start out pretty heavy and during their career start to get (a bit more) mellow. Sometimes this evolution is only marginal, sometimes a band is almost unrecognisable after a few albums. Abstracter evolved as well over the course of their albums. Instead of mellowing down their sound, they have evolved in another direction. Things have gotten harsher over time. Cinereous Incarnate is their third full length. On their debut Tomb Of Feathers and their second album Wound Empire Abstracter played roughly with the same influences as on Cinereous Incarnate: doom, sludge, death metal and black metal. To my ears the doom and sludge influences were in the lead on those first two albums. I liked them enough to follow the band, but … Read more

More album reviews

Sabertooth Zombie

The Only Good Politician is a Dead Polititian
Independent (2005)

Biting through the flesh of the unwilling. Fingering eye sockets and spilling vast volumes of blood. Some want to smash the system; others want to skull fuck it with barbed wired bats, like Sabertooth Zombie, who just self-released an EP titled, The Only Good Politician is a Dead Politician. We are treated to six songs of fucked up punk/hardcore with … Read more

Chihei Hatakeyama

Minima Moralia
Kranky (2006)

Minima Moralia is ambient artist Chihei Hatakeyama's debut solo album, with his prior musical output coming via his electro-acoustic duo Opitope and the improv group Copa del Papa. Additionally he co-runs the Kualauk Table record label and helps organize the "continuous live performance event" (i.e. "music festival") Kuala Mute Geek. All of this means absolutely nothing to me. If it … Read more

If Hope Dies

Life in Ruin
Ironclad/Metal Blade (2006)

Auburn is a tranquil town in upstate New York sitting about fifteen minutes outside of the city of Syracuse. You may not be a geography major, but this is relevant. Why, you ask? Because Auburn is the same town that spawned metal masters Manowar and Syracuse is the city that gave birth to hardcore legends Earth Crisis. It is likely … Read more

Turbonegro

Party Animals
Burning Heart (2005)

If there's a band out there that knows how to create a solid record on top of having a damn good time, it's Turbonegro. In the past decade (and then some), this band has released more influential and ground-breaking records than any other Scandinavian band - besides perhaps, uh…every black metal band. Albums like Ass Cobra and Apocalypse Dudes are … Read more

Counting the Days

Finding a Balance
Strike First (2006)

Sometimes I make mistakes. When I was in kindergarten I crossed in the middle of the street and was promptly hit by car. In the fifth grade I decided to ride my brakeless bike down the steepest hill in my home town. I made it about halfway down. When I was a senior I skipped my girlfriend's piano recital to … Read more

In Flames

Come Clarity
Ferret (2006)

In metal circles, In Flames need little introduction, if any at all. The once vaunted band was at the forefront of the "New Wave of Swedish Death Metal" invasion that produced masterpieces like Jester's Race, Whoracle, and Colony. The band has been on somewhat of a decline over the last several albums, culminating in the critically panned, ill received nu-metal … Read more

Dear Whoever

Sound the Trumpet
Broken Line (2006)

What does it mean to have over 407,000 plays on Purevolume, over 170,000 plays and over 10,000 friends on Myspace? After listening to Dear Whoever's EP, Sound the Trumpet, I have found the answer to these questions, among others. Such as, what happens when you mix teenage angst with Christian metal? And the ever popular, would you rather listen to … Read more

No Idols

Low (Swing the Pyramid Hands)
Hex (2006)

No Idols is a roaring, incendiary band that combines a fuzzed out dirgey guitar attack (a la Cursed) with speed, raw emotion, and enough sociopolitical bile to piss of an entire VFW hall full of the mascara crowd. Low (Swing the Pyramid Hands) is the second release, following a 7" on Grave Mistake (which is equally excellent but different sounding), … Read more

Iron Age

Constant Struggle
Youngblood (2006)

Despite what everyone else is saying, I can't call Iron Age a hardcore band. I know they're on a hardcore label and have members that were in fairly big hardcore bands. But they're just not hardcore music. Their music is way to metal to be lumped in with hardcore. From the opening track, "We're Dust / The Violator" it's obvious … Read more

Dragonforce

Inhuman Rampage
Sanctuary (2006)

Usually, when a band tries to surpass their previous musical efforts, especially when the stage is set to such a high standard, they hit a block of musical creativity. This block sounds like an attempt at something new and original but falls quite short of that, and what you hear makes you look back at the CD case to see … Read more

Fightstar

Grand Unification
Island (2006)

Sunday March 12th, 2006 An open letter to Charlie Simpson of Fightstar. Dear Mr. Simpson, Does the name Skua mean anything to you? Let me jog your memory. Skua is the band that Paul Cattermole left S Club 7 to play in. You know, the one he was in right before he disappeared from view entirely? That one that would … Read more

Various Artists

We Reach: The Music of The Melvins
Fractured Transmitter (2005)

A tribute to The Melvins, in theory, is a great idea. Hell, all tribute records in theory are great ideas. They pay homage to talented bands that have been around for years and influenced countless artists. It's only fitting that they be showered with the respect that they deserve, right? Of course! Unfortunately, most tribute records don't turn out so … Read more

The Slackers

Peculiar
Hellcat (2006)

Yes, this could be considered a ska record, and yes, ska really is not as popular as it was a short time ago. But forget all of that genre prejudice, The Slackers are a different breed of band. Their smooth arrangements, jazzy interludes, and uncannily humable tunes allow them to transcend the musical genre of ska. If you have ever … Read more

The Living End

State of Emergency
EMI (2006)

Maturity is a much-maligned thing within the pop world. Let's face it, there's nothing that the mass-media consuming pop-culture junkie detests more than a band that changes their sound. Maybe the new sound makes the consumer feel stupid? Maybe the new sound is just shit? Maybe it's something not worth postulating over? The fact is that this is how it … 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)