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)

Since By Man

We Sing the Body Electric
Revelation (2003)

For a genre such as hardcore, it's hard for a band to sound different... or good, for that matter. I dislike hardcore music, but this sounded like an emo-core/hardcore hybrid. Since By Man is the best hardcore band I've ever listened to - they play fairly fast (or, at least, they CAN play fast if they choose to do so), but sound more like Thursday during the breakdowns. For a hardcore band, I give it a 9/10. In general, I give it a 5/10. Read more

Since By Man

We Sing the Body Electric
Revelation (2003)

I think I have whiplash. An incredibly addictive hardcore album with infectious riffs and powerful, gut-wrenching vocals are the best … Read more

Since By Man

We Sing the Body Electric
Revelation (2003)

Lately, it has been difficult to read a music magazine with out encountering the statement "(Band X) breaks/pushes the boundaries … Read more

Xiu Xiu

A Promise
5 Rue Christine (2003)

Quite the record. Nothing you are going to sit down and just listen to as background music because it needs … Read more

Xiu Xiu

A Promise
5 Rue Christine (2003)

Quite the record. Nothing you are going to sit down and just listen to as background music because it needs … Read more

Xiu Xiu

A Promise
5 Rue Christine (2003)

Somewhere between unforgiving and yielding, you'll find Xiu Xiu. This music is something I can't quite put my finger on, … Read more

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One from the archives

Nordra

Pylon II
Sige (2018)

Monika Khot has been exploring the realm of experimental music both as one half of the avant noise/prog duo Zen Mother, but also with her solo project Nordra. Just last year, Khot released her self-titled record through SIGE, displaying her adventurous ethic towards electronic music. Now SIGE turns back the clock and presents Nordra's first work in Pylon II, originally released in 2016 and featuring an original score for an immersive performance, choreographed by Coleman Pester for the 9e2 festival. As Pylon II is not far removed chronologically from Nordra, Khot displays many of the qualities that were so successful in her latest album. The unconventional instrumentation, in the use of an electric guitar and trombone alongside the processed vocals, infect the electronic music core. In that manner the mechanical … Read more

More album reviews

Xiu Xiu

A Promise
5 Rue Christine (2003)

Xiu Xiu are a frustrating band in the sense that their originality is quite apparent, but for many people they are difficult to "get into." After coming away from their 2002 release Knife Play without having really "clicked" at all, I decided to give them another chance with A Promise. Almost wiping clean any trace of a riff or melody … Read more

Xiu Xiu

A Promise
5 Rue Christine (2003)

Xiu Xiu are a frustrating band in the sense that their originality is quite apparent, but for many people they are difficult to "get into." After coming away from their 2002 release Knife Play without having really "clicked" at all, I decided to give them another chance with A Promise. Almost wiping clean any trace of a riff or melody … Read more

Where Fear and Weapons Meet

Control
Eulogy (2003)

This 6 song EP is nothing to start a big hoopla over. Sounds like basic, run of the mill hardcore to me. There is probably a little local band in your scene that does hardcore just as well. If you're a hardcore kid, you'll probably like this, if you're not, you probably won't. Read more

Where Fear and Weapons Meet

Control
Eulogy (2003)

I enjoy this record. Coming in fully expecting some new metal-core band, I was surprised with some old school style hardcore. This reminds me of being in high school and fucking ripping up the ole' skate spots years ago. This shit is just fun hardcore. Boasting some ex bands you wouldn't picture to play this music (Against All Authority and … Read more

Where Fear and Weapons Meet

Control
Eulogy (2003)

When people first get into hardcore, they say it all sounds the same. This is understandable, because a lot of it sounds the same. In this case, we are subjected to music that doesn't really have it's own sound. The music reminds me of Sick Of It All and punk rock hardcore straight up with a lack of mosh breakdowns. … Read more

Songs: Ohia

Magnolia Electric Co.
Secretly Canadian (2003)

From the first notes of the opener "Farewell Transmission" on the Magnolia Electric Co. experienced Songs: Ohia listeners will immediately pick up on Molina's new direction. On this album, Jason Molina has put aside minimalism in the music of his previous albums and has picked up a steel pedal guitar and has developed a backing band. Molina's melancholy, love-lost crooning … Read more

Songs: Ohia

Magnolia Electric Co.
Secretly Canadian (2003)

This is my first Songs: Ohia experience. Outcome? Excellent. Slide guitar, slow to mid-tempo songs, and a sound that can almost be reminiscent to Counting Crows at times (go ahead and flame me), I have found myself going back to this CD more than I expected. The vocals are incredibly laid back and have a vibe that is just incredibly … Read more

Songs: Ohia

Magnolia Electric Co.
Secretly Canadian (2003)

After falling in love with songwriter Jason Molina's ensemble last year through the somber and deeply confessional Didn't it Rain, my expectations were set extremely high for both of his 2003 releases, Magnolia Electric Co. and Pyramid Electric Co., which will be released later this year. The first thing that struck me about Magnolia Electric Co. was that it had … Read more

Kissing Chaos

Enter With a Bullet
Fueled By Ramen (2003)

I fall somewhere in between Zed and Shane on this CD. I found some minor enjoyment in it, but there are a lot of musical flaws. It simply doesn't fit together very well. A lot of bands are trying to mix a lot of different sounds, but they shouldn't have to struggle to do it, this band clearly has problems … Read more

Kissing Chaos

Enter With a Bullet
Fueled By Ramen (2003)

The latest addition to FBR's roster. I gave this 5 song EP a listen not knowing what to expect. I think I might have been better off not knowing what it was. This band seems very unsure of what they want to be. Not terribly bad music (besides the terrible drum screw up 1:14 into the third song) but they … Read more

Kissing Chaos

Enter With a Bullet
Fueled By Ramen (2003)

With a name like Kissing Chaos you just want to get a teddy bear and kiss it. Or maybe I just made that up for a creative intro to a review. Which is ironic, because this isn't the most creative CD. They do use violins for the end of a song, and that would have been original if it hadn't … Read more

Children of Bodom

Hate Crew Deathroll
Century Media (2003)

This album is definitely one of the "odd men out" on this site. That is a good thing though. Sometimes you need a change of pace. The cheesy orchestra keyboard hits can get to you sometimes. The guitar work is fucking amazing. Constant double bass through the record. The vocals aren't all that bad either. Sometimes they can sound pretty … Read more

Children of Bodom

Hate Crew Deathroll
Century Media (2003)

When I first heard I was going to be reviewing this album, I automatically assumed I would hate it. My metal tastes hardly expand past a few Iron Maiden and Judas Priest records. While the lyrics and vocals are a little hard to get into for me, they aren't hard to get past. The guitar work involved some amazing metal … Read more

Children of Bodom

Hate Crew Deathroll
Century Media (2003)

So metal it has its own element on the periodic table! You can quote me on that B') I'm not familiar with metal enough to differentiate death metal, black metal, and cash money metal from each other, but I can tell this is good metal. Already I've used the word metal seven times in this review, and that probably means … Read more

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