Recent reviews

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)

Municipal Waste

Hazardous Mutation
Earache (2005)

If you're craving a throwback to the time when thrash metal was at it's height, then look no further than Municipal Waste's Hazardous Mutation. On their Earache Records debut the Richmond, Virginia four-piece deliver the perfect mixture of 80's thrash, crossover, and hardcore/punk. While the result may be nothing more than what some consider 'twenty years too late,' it is a refreshing listen during a time when the world of metal is overflowing with Gothenburg knockoffs. From the get-go of 'Intro/Deathripper' and continuing throughout the album, guitarist Ryan Waste provides the listener with thrashing riffs perfect for a never-ending headbanging sessions. In fact, there were very few moments when the guitars were not traveling at the speed of sound. Moving just as fast as the blistering riffs is the drumwork of Dave Witte, whom most of you will know from his days in Discordance Axis and Burnt by the Sun. Witte pounds away at his kit furiously, creating what seems like endless combinations of double bass, blast beats, cymbal crashes, and drum fills. There really is no denying the talents of this skinsman and it is reassuring to know that his skills are not being wasted since his departure from … Read more

Lightning Bolt

Hypermagic Mountain
Load (2005)

Preparation for listening to the new Lightning Bolt record for the first time: ' Call up around a dozen of … Read more

Various Artists

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Vagrant (2005)

Tempers of music fans ran high from the day stories were posted on various sites that specific bands were to … Read more

Afterthought

Take It or Leave It
Southern Comfort (2005)

As Death Cab for Cutie becomes the mainstream poster boy for indie rock, groups like Dilated Peoples and Atmosphere have … Read more

Every Time I Die

Gutter Phenomenon
Ferret (2005)

So you know how a band will take something that they wrote that does really well with the fans and … Read more

Elliott

Photorecording
Revelation (2005)

This is not a re-release. Photorecording is Elliott's last testament. Allow me to regress a few years. I had always … Read more

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One from the archives

The Shell Corporation

Time And Pressure
Solidarity (2012)

I glorious little EP fell into my lap, thanks to my editor. It’s the Time & Pressure EP from The Shell Corporation. It’s a beautiful little set of fast melodic punk songs in the same vein as Bigwig and The Explosion. They don’t mind throwing in surprises as well.The first track, “Shit Just Got Real, Son” is a fast paced introduction to the EP. The following, “Not For Me,” has a short acoustic prelude then bursts into a catchy number. I admit, I would have been fine with it just being an acoustic track. Next up is the single, “Looking for a War” which adapts a poem from WB Yeats (except for the chorus). The band changes things on “Nonviolence Is a Luxury,” by taking some inspiration from Joe Strummer … Read more

More album reviews

Know the Score

All Guts, No Glory
Goodbye Blue Skies (2005)

Some might say that hardcore has gone soft. Those that feel this way have a distorted view of the genre. Hardcore is as explosive and assertive as it has been since its very inception. Florida hardcore outfit Know the Score is a prime example of this. With their debut release, All Guts, No Glory, the band serves up eleven tracks … Read more

Twenty Four Hours to Live

We're All Loudmouths
Surprise Attack (2005)

Surprise Attack Records and I have never had a good relationship. There isn't any sort of beef between us or anything, it's just I always get stoked for their releases only to be left disappointed when I get something. Surprise Attack Records hypes the hell out of their bands and they make it sound like they are going to hear … Read more

Gay for Johnny Depp

Blood: The Natural Lubricant
Captain of Industry (2005)

In theory alone, I should love this album. Gay for Johnny Depp is a homosexual band. Great, I love homosexuals in bands. They sing about filthy gay sex. Great, I love filthy gay sex. They play cum rocking screamo hardcore. Great, I love screamo and hardcore. They love Johnny Depp. Great, I think Johnny Depp is an okay actor. Theory … Read more

Sweetthieves

Demo
Independent (2005)

This trio of sweetness comes from the Northeast and resides in a place called Providence, Rhode Island. Dave Martinka (guitar/vocals) and Jay Mayoh (drums), after playing in bands off an on in high school got together with bassist Hilary Jones, who played guitar in two previous bands. She had been a frequenting customer at a local guitar shop where she … Read more

Metric

Live It Out
Last Gang (2005)

The attention gained by The Arcade Fire last year has been a blessing and a curse for Canadian indie music. In one respect the scene has been put in the spotlight by the mass media, which have discovered what many insiders have known for years: Canada produces some of the best music in the genre. Unfortunately the amount of hype … Read more

Palehorse

Secrets Within Secrets
Martyr (2005)

You find yourself strapped on a horse, galloping through a rampaged America. You don't know the year; you don't what the fuck happened. Skyscrapers point at empty skies. Civilization has been looted beyond repair. The outlook is bleak at best. For the purposes of this music review, you somehow find an iPod in your back pocket loaded with Palehorse's Secrets … Read more

New Order

Singles
Warner Bros. (2005)

I know what you're thinking because I was thinking it as well. How can a band that has only released eight studio albums have yet another greatest hits? Are they taking the piss or what? Singles is New Order's fifth greatest hits package after Substance, The Best of', The Rest of', the Retro box-set and the US release of International. … Read more

Ctrlaltdelete

Mondegreens
Motivesounds (2005)

I used to hate 'ctrl,' 'alt,' and 'delete.' Used in succession, it only meant one thing - reboot. That's right! Your computer is fucked and there is nothing you can do. Accept defeat and hit those keys. Anything you were working on is lost forever. But now, I'm kind of fond of them. UK post-rock trio Ctrlaltdelete has redefined those … Read more

Earth

Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method
Southern Lord (2005)

Opening with a sound not unlike some kind of spaghetti western death knell, Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method, the comeback album of noise mongers Earth, shocks the old time listeners of the band. Anyone who has heard Earth 2 or Sunn Amps and Smashed Guitars will tell you that. But, the mastermind behind Earth, Dylan Carlson, is known … Read more

Drowningman

Don't Push us When We're Hot
Thorp (2005)

I'll admit, when I first heard of Drowningman back in the day, I had a whole lot of preconceived notions. It was in a magazine, Revolver or Tiger Beat, that featured an interview. After looking at the photo, I was ready to dismiss them as Warped Tour rejects that play the excruciatingly banal bullshit that I'd come to expect from … Read more

HIM

Dark Light
Warner Bros. (2005)

HIM is known as the biggest musical joke of our generation and is bashed frequently by message board elitists everywhere. Are they really that bad? It depends. Listening to HIM's new album, Dark Light, is not a good way to introduce oneself to this Nordic phenomenon. I'd recommend going back to the beginning, eight years ago, when Greatest Love Songs … Read more

Scum

Gospels for the Sick
Tuba (2005)

The moment Shannon Larkin walked out of Amen and into Godhead, or Godsmack, or whatever the fuck awful band with 'God' in their name it was that he walked into, Casey Chaos was turned into that much maligned Dani Filth-esque character. You know the type, right? The ones that float around the music press on a weekly basis, but whom … Read more

Franz Ferdinand

You Could Have it So Much Better
Sony (2005)

No longer is Franz Ferdinand the sole property of Glasgow's skinny tie wearing indie elite. They are now a phenomenon. Actually, scratch that. They are a worldwide fucking phenomenon. This results in two things. Firstly, the anticipation surrounding their sophomore album, You Could Have it So Much Better, is massive. And secondly, I no longer look cool for being able … Read more

Fordirelifesake

A Daydream Disaster
Thorp (2005)

Kids aren't born cool. For the droves of kids that are growing up in small towns watching third rate metalcore at their local VFW Hall, it couldn't be harder to come across cool music, let alone music that is pushing boundaries. Fordirelifesake, although not pushing the boundaries of what the CD label described as 'melodic-metallic-hardcore,' seem to be the kind … Read more

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