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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)

Ten 33

Nightmare on Grace St.
Blood & Ink (2005)

Yeah, I can get behind this. Speedy, straightforward hardcore punk with some youth crew influences and breakdowns. Sound like your thing? If so, I'd recommend peeping Ten 33's Nightmare on Grace St. or at least add them on Myspace or something. With eleven songs in just over 20 minutes, the record has no real flaws. Hell, it doesn't have time for any. However, it also has no real highlights either. It's like that dude who comes to your party, gets wasted and acts like an ass, but does no real damage: entertaining, but essentially forgettable. Nightmare on Grace St. shows up, gets you pretty pumped if you're down with their style, but is pretty unlikely to remain in your brain for any longer than the album's duration. I'd hardly call it mediocre, but I can't picture anyone digging this so much that Ten 33 becomes his or her new favorite band. I would definitely check these guys out live, and will definitely keep my free promo copy of their record. It's a perfect album to get you stoked while driving to a show or mowing the lawn. Yeah, that's what this is: lawn-mowing hXc. If this seems like a short … Read more

Small Towns Burn a Little Slower

Mortality as Home Entertainment
Triple Crown (2005)

I once spent a month sleeping in a cramped, musty basement that doubled as a practice space for Small Towns … Read more

Magnolia Electric Co.

What Comes After the Blues
Secretly Canadian (2005)

You would be hard pressed to come across a review of Magnolia Electric Co.'s What Comes after the Blues that … Read more

Baroness

Second
Hyperrealist (2005)

Baroness have been one of music's best kept secrets. With the release of their first record, an EP titled First … Read more

Meneguar

I Was Born at Night
Magic Bullet (2005)

Meneguar, formerly Sheryl's Magnetic Aura, hails from New York and has members of Books Lie, I Am the Resurrection, and … Read more

Tides

Resurface
Teenage Disco Bloodbath (2005)

Boring. Derivate. Crap. These are all words that I have heard individuals use when referring to the craze of post-rock/instru-metal … Read more

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One from the archives

Let Me Run

Broken Strings EP
Paper + Plastick (2010)

200 Words Or Less

Let Me Run managed to get alot of recognition in 2009 very quickly. This maybe be because of their jersey roots and owing much in sound to one Gaslight Anthem. These things helped them gain alot of attention along with some touring and some very good songs. The songs were good but could notably use some work, as they never kept the power they seemed to deserve. So onto 2010, in the interim the band lost some members notably their lead vocalist. For a band of this type it can definitely turn ugly. A band playing this style of music without the right voice leading it can fall flat on its face. Luckily I can say that Let Me Run found someone to fill the void quite well. The songs … Read more

More album reviews

Some Girls

The DNA Will Have Its Say
Three One G (2005)

By now you know who's in Some Girls. The cred they've garnered through their previous bands at this point doesn't mean shit if the songs suck. Luckily for Some Girls, they don't suck. With each release they have gotten progressively weirder. The Rains was a grungy thrash EP. The Blues was similar to The Rains but offered a glimpse in … Read more

Sir Millard Mulch

How to Sell the Whole Fucking Universe to Everybody... Once and for All
Mimicry (2005)

If I had to nominate an album for the most bizarre and intriguing release of 2005 thus far, I would have no problem choosing Sir Millard Mulch's How to Sell the Whole Fucking Universe to Everybody... Once and For All for that award. This two disc album - marketed as a three disc venture for comedic purposes that I'll explain … Read more

Isle of View

Gentle Firefly Radio
Undecided (2005)

Before I get to the review of Isle of View's Gentle Firefly Radio, I must state the following. This is by no means whatsoever a biased review. I like pop-punk music. I love The Descendants, earlier New Found Glory, Blink 182, and so on. But I don't like this band. Gentle Firefly Radio is very boring, and the singer's voice … Read more

Stars are Falling / Skylines

Split
Blood & Ink (2005)

Is this what you kids call "screamo" nowadays? I don't know and I don't care. As far as I'm concerned all music should be split into two genres: the one I like and the one I don't. This album would then fall under the second category, well the first band at least. The album is a split between two bands: … Read more

Frostmourn

Fall of Lordaron
Independent (2005)

Contrary to what anyone may think, writing an unbiased review is actually a pretty difficult process. I mean, when it comes to certain bands that you may have liked for years, that whole impartiality thing is a lot harder to come by than for a band you've never heard of before. What's worse is that when Frostmourn's Fall of Lordaron … Read more

Pelican

The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw
Hydra Head (2005)

"Evolution is the key to survival." I don't know which famous individual stated this, but I am quoting them both out of respect as well as out of fear of getting sued. Whoever that wiseman was, he was absolutely correct. History has taught us that a failure to evolve - no matter what the context - results in certain doom. … Read more

The Lost Patrol

The Lost Patrol Band
Burning Heart (2005)

The Lost Patrol started up as Dennis Lyxzen's solo project with the help of his close friends. Unlike the innovative post-hardcore act Refused and 60's throwback retro-punk outfit The (International) Noise Conspiracy, The Lost Patrol is less aggressive and makes use of layers of melody and acoustic guitars. Lyxzen's solo debut under the moniker was Songs of Key Resistance, which … Read more

Multiple Authors

Modern Life Is War

Witness
Deathwish Inc. (2005)

Let me say this right off the bat: this album is perfect. Modern Life is War has created a record that, at least to this reviewer, ranks right up there with Bane's Give Blood and American Nightmare's Background Music. The sound is actually remarkably similar to Background Music, however not in any way that My Love, My Way wasn't. I … Read more

Multiple Authors

Modern Life Is War

Witness
Deathwish Inc. (2005)

There are undoubtedly many of those who claim that hardcore is a dull, stagnant genre in serious need of a quick, timely death. It's easy to see from where they draw their argument, because hardcore is a hugely popular genre that has simply refused to evolve for far too long. Fortunately for the hardcore aficionado with discerning taste, there have … Read more

Xiu Xiu

La Forét
5 Rue Christine (2005)

Xiu Xiu is one of those bands you either love or hate. They are hard to get into; they talk about some of the most socially taboo topics, and in general are just out there. To me, their music is a cacophony of amazing music. On their latest outing, La Forét, meaning 'the forest' or 'the drill', the band returns … Read more

Names for Graves

Worst Kid Ever
Triple Attack (2005)

Sandusky, Ohio is home to Cedar Point Amusement Park, the rollercoaster capital of the world. About 45 minutes due east is the blue-collar city of Cleveland, whose hardcore scene has seen it's fair share of ups and downs that rival that of 'The Magnum' and 'Millennium Force.' During the span of the 1990's Cleveland was home to one of the … Read more

The Red Chord

Clients
Metal Blade (2005)

Since the release of 2002's Fused Together In Revolving Doors, The Red Chord has slowly but surely become one of the most popular and respected bands throughout the hardcore/metal scene. Fusing together an amalgam of various styles of heavy music, the band's sound refuses to be typecast into any one specific genre. Drawing influences from hardcore, thrash metal, and grindcore … Read more

Idlewild

Warnings / Promises
Parlophone (2005)

In 2002, Bob Fairfoul walked out of Idlewild with a rain of misdirected punches. From that moment, it seemed impossible that the next album would be anything other than either a return to an older, easier sound, or a radical change. When bassist Gavin Fox from Irish band Turn and long-term tour guitarist Allan Stewart were drafted into the new … Read more

Amora Savant

The Immaculate Misconception
Volatile Productions (2005)

Sometimes, perspective is a good thing. There's not always time to gain significant perspective, but when you do have the time, it makes an informed decision well, all that more informed. When I first played Amora Savant's The Immaculate Misconception, I didn't like it. So I played it a second time to, you know, gain some of that perspective thingy … Read more

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