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Life in Your Way

Ignite and Rebuild
Indianola (2005)

Oh jeez, another one of these bands. You know the kind - screamo/emo band who wants anything but to be labeled as such. They come up with alternate and sometimes startlingly inaccurate descriptors such as "melodic hardcore" or "emotion rock," or they take the easy way out and spout off the classic "we don't like to label ourselves" or "our … Read more

Donnybrook

Lions in this Game
Hand of Hope (2005)

Donnybrook take their namesake from a famous festival in Ireland that is notorious for its brawls. So taking that into account, it isn't a surprise that the California outfit plays a variation of tough-guy hardcore. However, on the band's debut full-length, Lions in this Game, Donnybrook attempt to break the stigma that there is nothing more to a tough-guy hardcore … Read more

The Uncomfortables

Demo
Independent (2005)

When I first started to listen to this demo, I thought it sounded as if Motorhead had a side project that kind of sucked a little, but was still Motorhead, at least. Turns out, The Uncomfortables are more like if you mixed Soundgarden with something else that sucks and sucked it through a straw so you could have both Soundgarden … Read more

Death By Stereo

Death for Life
Epitaph (2005)

Fearlessly naming their new record Death for Life is an instant indication that Death By Stereo aren't about to back down despite the lawsuits and legal issues surrounding the band after a death at one of their shows in 2003. Just in case you didn't pick up on the name, the record begins with some gang vocals chanting the words, … Read more

Bucket Full Of Teeth

IV
Level Plane (2005)

In the year of 2002, Bucket Full Of Teeth released three 7"s on Youth Attack! Records titled I, II and III. Each record was packed with an essay written by one of the three members: Brad, Matt and Will. It was an awesome idea, but also contrived in the sense that they planned to do something musically different, as described … Read more

Playing Enemy

I Was Your City
Hawthorne Street (2005)

The members of Playing Enemy certainly have an impressive resume of musical ventures in which they have been previously involved: Rorschach, Kiss it Goodbye, Deadguy, Undertow, and Nineironspitfire among others. But rather than re-hash sounds and styles characteristic of those projects, Playing Enemy, instead ventured down a different path in the hardcore/metal realm. The Seattle-based band first hit the scene … Read more

Shere Kahn

Get Fucked
Rock Vegas (2005)

I was really excited when I put this CD on. For years there have been rumors of a Goonies sequel popping up here and there in the media. It always made me wonder what happened to the cast. Whichever Cory it was had been in and out of rehab and the tabloids, before discovering his true calling as a (failed) … Read more

The Nothing / Send More Paramedics

North of England, South of Heaven
In at the Deep End (2005)

There's not really that many instances I can think of where I could use the words; "hardcore", "thrash metal" and "zombies" in the same sentence to refer to something good. In fact, I'm not even sure I can think of many instances when I'd ever use those words in the same sentence at all. When talking about Send More Paramedics … Read more

Hot Hot Heat

Elevator
Warner Bros. (2005)

Hot Hot Heat has managed to weave in and out of the limelight in the last few years. Often compared to the Cure, they are able to hold onto the fringes of the mainstream thanks to the "new" new wave and dance rock movements. The single that broke them to the mainstream was the catchy yet repetitive "Bandages," which has … Read more

A Silver Mount Zion

Horses in the Sky
Constellation (2005)

A few days after Horses in the Sky was released, *coughtwomonthsagocough*, I sat down and tried to review it. After one listen my review was nearly done. I'd given the album a score of 5.0, dismissing it as "the most frustrating album of the year." I now realize that my review, while being both wildly hilarious and jarringly insightful, was … Read more

Torche

Torche
Robotic Empire (2005)

Whenever I am having a discussion of music with friends, which happens more often then I'd like to admit, for music is my sole sense of being, the topic of why there aren't more "sludge-metal bands incorporating vocals into their songs always seems to come up. I've always had an answer - I won't divulge it here for fear of … Read more

Meshuggah

Catch Thirty Three
Nuclear Blast (2005)

There are lots of ways that one can view the genre of metal and any of its countless sub-genres - a soundtrack to your miserable life, a vicarious escape from the mundane, the optimum means of combating (or embracing) anger - all are possibilities, but not many will admit to regarding it as a valid art form, just as capable … Read more

Final Fight

Under Attack
Straight On (2005)

Lack of sleep, Influenza A virus and a spike through your chest, among other things, cause people to get sick. When you get sick usually taking medicine is the cure. Lately I've been getting sick of "amazing-core". It's essentially hardcore pop: vague lyrics that every hardcore kid and hot topic consumers can connect to paved atop over-the-top polished "HXC jamz." … Read more

Brain Failure

American Dreamer
Thorp (2005)

Punk is a relative concept. In 1982, shaving your head into a mohawk and wearing studded jewelry was a symbol of rebellion. It was the aesthetic of a youth movement fueled by frustration with the status quo. It was a visual statement against suburbanite jocks listening to Bad Company and Styx. Today, the mohawk is a passing fad in hair … Read more

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