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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)

Radiohead

Hail to the Thief
Capitol (2003)

Radiohead are one of those bands that people go out of their way to like because there's quite a bit to like about them. Some would even certify Radiohead as a capital-G capital-B "Great Band," and I'm one of them. But even the greatest bands in the world make a few mistakes every now and then. Radiohead's is more of a small trot down the path toward career destruction, just a few small steps after which a hasty retreat was enacted, nothing compared to the epic journay down it which some bands have taken recently (St. Anger, anyone?). Simply put, this record is filled with a lot of ideas, some of which criminally go nowhere, which is not something the band has done often in the past. Half the time, the songs are less than songs go absolutely nowhere, and this is where Hail to the Thief differentiates from its peers. Yes, Amnesiac had its fair share of missteps, but thankfully, with the exception of "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors," they were countered by having a larger, better idea around them, or being so short as to not even merit attention. Like previous albums, the best moments of Hail to the Thief … Read more

Guff

Engine Trouble
Go Kart (2003)

Sometimes I really wonder about people. I turn on the television and I see rape, murder, and complete apathy towards … Read more

Multiple Authors

Modern Life Is War

My Love. My Way.
Martyr (2003)

The problem with the hardcore scene is that its music has become so immersed in repetition, unoriginality, and generality, that … Read more

Multiple Authors

Modern Life Is War

My Love. My Way.
Martyr (2003)

One of the best, if not the best, hardcore album of 2003 so far. If hardcore doesn't strike your fancy, … Read more

Multiple Authors

These Arms Are Snakes

This Is Meant to Hurt You
Jade Tree (2003)

Nothing sucks more than seeing a band live and loving them, then listening to their recorded material and running into … Read more

Multiple Authors

These Arms Are Snakes

This Is Meant to Hurt You
Jade Tree (2003)

Apparently These Arms Are Snakes's debut EP was meant to hurt me. I'm not sure what I did to them, … Read more

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One from the archives

The Aggrolites

Reggae Hit L.A.
Hellcat (2007)

Since about the year 2000, Tim Armstrong, Lars Frederickson and pretty much that has anything to do with Rancid has pretty much been a horrible venture, looking your way The Viking, Transplants and the last Rancid album. Prior to listening to this album the only conation I had about The Aggrolites was that they were Tim Armstrong's backing band for his solo project. So admittedly, I had them written off for quite awhile and let the album sit on the shelf for quite a bit. It took me more than a month to getting around and giving the album a shot. In a broader sense, The Aggrolites face a different challenge- the average person in the year 2007 will probably disregard this band because of genre alone, the whole reggae/ska … Read more

More album reviews

Multiple Authors

These Arms Are Snakes

This Is Meant to Hurt You
Jade Tree (2003)

The sticker on the front of this CD's jewel case is going to sell lots of copies of it, I guarantee. It reads "Featuring former members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Nineironspitfire," and the name of that first band will get people buying in droves. And then, most likely, many of those who buy it will return it because it … Read more

Multiple Authors

Thrice

Artist In the Ambulance
Island (2003)

This record is by no means bad, but it's also not a great record. As a newcomer to Thrice, I was prepared to give this an un-biased review. Once I'd sat and listened through the record, I was sad to hear (literally) that they didn't stand out much from the current crop of hardcore/emo/punk/metal-core bands currently populating the scene. While … Read more

Multiple Authors

Thrice

Artist In the Ambulance
Island (2003)

You've heard this record before. Honestly, you have. The last time that band you know jumped ship from their indie and put out a big budget major label debut, actually. Cave In already made this record earlier this year. Granted, Cave In had a mind-blowing first record to give themselves some credibility, which Thrice most certainly did not, but let's … Read more

Multiple Authors

Thrice

Artist In the Ambulance
Island (2003)

Thrice have built quite a large fanbase in quite a short period of time. Perhaps this was one of the factors that led them to singing to a major label (Island) and subsequently shooting out a new record less than a year and a half after the release of their second full-length record, The Illusion of Safety. Illusion sparked that … Read more

Multiple Authors

Ten Grand

This Is the Way to Rule
Southern (2003)

Who knew that such an exciting and promising musical force was sitting right across the border from me? After hearing so much about this band and being severely disappointed when they postponed their Omaha show (and still haven't made it up), I was glad to finally get my hands (figuratively) on their newest album. In all its underproduced glory, "This … Read more

Multiple Authors

Ten Grand

This Is the Way to Rule
Southern (2003)

Upon listening to this in a moving automobile with my father, he was quick to inform me that the singer of this band sounded like vocalist of The Murder City Devils. I have no idea what he was talking about. Ten Grand manages to give off a raw sounding vibe without playing very simple music, which I'm sure is a … Read more

Multiple Authors

Ten Grand

This Is the Way to Rule
Southern (2003)

Ten Grand (formerly The Vidablue) are definately an acquired taste. Hearing their stuff before I thought it was just alright. Nothing to go nuts over. After seeing them live, my outlook on them changed drastically. I gave them a second chance and found out I had been kidding myself. This new record is no different. I suppose you could classify … Read more

Multiple Authors

Ester Drang

Infinite Keys
Jade Tree (2003)

On previous records, Ester Drang's output had an epic feel to it; it was more drawn-out and atmospheric than that on Infinite Keys. However, the strength and rise-and-fall aesthetic seemed to be more of a focus on density than precise instrumentation. Even as 2001's Goldenwest brought out more focused songwriting effort, the composition on Infinite Keys is leaps and bounds … Read more

Multiple Authors

Ester Drang

Infinite Keys
Jade Tree (2003)

The party starts to wind down and everyone is sitting in lawn chairs around the bonfire. There are at least 3 "marijunana cigarettes" being passed around while everyone kinda just kicks back and gets their chill on. Conversation goes back in forth in a mild manner yet there is always one guy dazed out to the music behind him. That … Read more

Multiple Authors

The Mars Volta

De-Loused In the Comatorium
Universal (2003)

Every now and then a super heavily hyped record comes along and completely lives up to all of the expectations set by the preliminary buzz. This is neither now nor then. De-Loused in the Comatorium was hyped by some to be the "best album of all time", but alas, it's not even one of the best albums put out this … Read more

Multiple Authors

The Mars Volta

De-Loused In the Comatorium
Universal (2003)

I've never heard The Mars Volta call themselves "experimental" or "out there," have you? Where does everyone get this idea? Why would anyone call their music experimental? They DO get spacey at times with their long, drawn-out segments of little or no music in the middle of a song (i.e.: "Cicatriz ESP," "Take the Veil, Cerpin Taxt," etc.), but the … Read more

Multiple Authors

The Mars Volta

De-Loused In the Comatorium
Universal (2003)

As one of the few music geeks on the planet who wasn't infatuated with At the Drive-In, I approached this record with very few expectations. I'd heard the Tremulant EP and wasn't too impressed with it, but thought it was nice enough. De-Loused in the Comatorium sounds like a logical extension of that sound, with the same mix of guitars, … Read more

Multiple Authors

Every Time I Die

Hot Damn!
Ferret (2003)

Every Time I Die has always been one of those bands that I thought were absolutely wretched. Surprise, nothing has changed. Songs like "I Been Gone A Long Time", feature some of the most terrible singing I have ever heard. With it's hardcore meets rock and roll feel that feels like Scissorfight at times, only twelve times worse. His vocals … Read more

Multiple Authors

Every Time I Die

Hot Damn!
Ferret (2003)

It's a rare thing when the title of a band's record suits that record perfectly, but Every Time I Die has managed to do this. Once you peel off the slip case to reveal the liners littered with photos of two girls kissing, you very may well be saying "Hot damn!" Picking up where Last Night in Town left off … Read more

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