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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)

The Sawtooth Grin

Cuddlemonster
Dead By 1918 (2004)

The Sawtooth Grin are quite the listen. From the first track, you are thrown into a whirlwind of grind, fronted with a singer that has, quite possibly, the most annoying scream in the world. That scream though is like that one guy you meet and you really don't like him at first. Then you go out one night, he gives you a beer, and you sit down and talk about stuff a bit and you find out he isn't all that bad. The drumming on this record is so chaotic, it's hard to follow what is going on from time to time. The first standout track on the album would have to be "A 2 Minute Lecture On the Finer Points of Instability." Clocking in at 2:03, it takes you on quite a little ride. It starts off blazing. The drums just rip through and finally start to break apart and everyone meets in this pseudo-breakdown that just goes right back into blazing fast speeds before meeting again into this carnival-esque sound. Finally about a minute into the song it goes into their "emo-grind" as I like to call it. The song finishes up blazing right on through. The next … Read more

Multiple Authors

Brandtson

Death and Taxes
Deep Elm (2003)

Brandtson has always been a guilty pleasure type band. I have the Letterbox and Dial In Sounds CDs and listen … Read more

Multiple Authors

Brandtson

Death and Taxes
Deep Elm (2003)

Part of me says it's not Brandtson's fault. They formed way back in 1996, and as such, are quite possibly … Read more

Multiple Authors

Inventing Edward

We've Met An Impasse (By Midnight We'll Be Naked)
Substandard (2003)

This CD was suggested to me by staff member Robby. I put off listening to it for a day. Really … Read more

Multiple Authors

Inventing Edward

We've Met An Impasse (By Midnight We'll Be Naked)
Substandard (2003)

Prior to listening to this album, having seen Inventing Edward twice, I thought I had a pretty decent idea what … Read more

Multiple Authors

Hot Cross

Cryonics
Level Plane (2003)

A new record from Hot Cross. I was so giddy to get my hands on this promo. Unfortunately, the giddyness … Read more

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One from the archives

Full Of Hell

Amber Mote in the Black Vault
Bad Teeth Recordings (2016)

Full of Hell remain successful in orbiting the broad domain of hardcore punk without becoming victims of convention or straying from ethic. With the release of Amber Mote in the Black Vault via John Hoffman’s (Weekend Nachos) Bad Teeth Recordings, “stagnation” simply does not appear to be a part of the Maryland/Pennsylvania outfit’s vocabulary. The group grows more and more interesting as a creative unit while they continue to produce a unique blend of extreme music rooted in hardcore punk, black metal, grindcore, powerviolence, and death metal.Comprised of four tracks clocking in under six minutes total, Amber Mote in the Black Vault is a compressed composition with the swift span of the album mirroring its pace. The EP’s opener, titled “Halogen Bulb,” sets the tone of the subsequent tracks: a … Read more

More album reviews

Multiple Authors

Hot Cross

Cryonics
Level Plane (2003)

"It's the band that has the singer from Saetia in it", was the first thing I heard about Hot Cross. Later I also heard it contains ex-members of Neil Perry and Joshua Fit For Battle, but being a huge fan of Saetia I immediately was forced to check this new all star screamo band. The first thing I noticed was … Read more

Multiple Authors

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Master and Everyone
Drag City (2003)

I am not one who can sit down and listen to a record that is just acoustic guitar and vocals. Call me shallow but, playing in Symphony Orchestras and the such has made me a sucker for instrumentation. The closest I come to such minimalistic music is Songs: Ohia's Didn't It Rain and some of the older Against Me! stuff. … Read more

Multiple Authors

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Master and Everyone
Drag City (2003)

Four years ago to the present, record players everywhere have played the last note of "Raining in Darling," the final song on Will Oldham's Bonnie "Prince" Billy record, I See a Darkness. As his record burped and scratched to its end, newly-anointed or long-time fans of Will Oldham have eagerly awaited his return which would once again, hopefully, take us … Read more

Multiple Authors

Cave In

Antenna
RCA (2003)

Yes folks, this band is the same Cave In that released Beyond Hypothermia and played metal. Yes avid readers, this is the same Cave In that played space rock and released Jupiter. But the music that graces this compact disc isn't metal or space rock, but instead radio friendly rock music with nebula inspired riffage. At this rate Cave In … Read more

Multiple Authors

Cave In

Antenna
RCA (2003)

This is one of the many albums of 2003 that I love but am also dissapointed with. Cave In have managed to write numerous catchy, commercial rock songs without deviating from their style too much. I'm not saying 'catchy/commercial' with a negative connotation, this is a good album. However, I can't move past Jupiter. That album was brilliant, and they … Read more

Multiple Authors

Cave In

Antenna
RCA (2003)

If you have not heard Cave In yet, you are obviously living under a rock. That or you are just really stupid. Starting out playing "metal-core" in '95 or so, they have had one of the most obvious sound changes a band could ever have. It started with Creative Eclipses EP back in '99. It continued on and evolved with … Read more

Multiple Authors

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Hearts of Oak
Lookout! (2003)

I can always tell how much I will spin an album following its first listen. That feeling I had after listening to Hearts of Oak was immeasurable. "The Ballad of the Sin-Eaters" is a song that will instantly make you shake your ass and shout the words even though you don't know them yet because you're listening to it the … Read more

Multiple Authors

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Hearts of Oak
Lookout! (2003)

Wanna have fun? Wanna dance? Want a record that can be, not only enjoyable to listen to, but the perfect record that can still be fun, even when you aren't paying much attention to it? Well this record is it. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists have followed up their 2001 full length, Tyranny of Distance with Hearts of Oak, a … Read more

Multiple Authors

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Hearts of Oak
Lookout! (2003)

[NOTE: Okay, I'll admit it. I'm way late. Hearts of Oak came out in February and now, half way into May, I'm finally sitting down to write this. Well, as they say, "better late than never," right?] So, all the hype is coming from New York City these days. There, you will find such indie rock favorites such as The … Read more

Multiple Authors

Boy Sets Fire

Tomorrow Comes Today
Wind-Up (2003)

The best way I can sum up my sentiments for this record is by saying that this is a Boy Sets Fire record, while at the same time, is definitely not a Boy Sets Fire record. It's basically the same band as before, but they've traded some of their post-hardcore sound for a sound that fits in more with the … Read more

Multiple Authors

Boy Sets Fire

Tomorrow Comes Today
Wind-Up (2003)

I used to have Boy Sets Fire's After the Eulogy. I thought it was good at the time, but in retrospect, it was pretty awful. I thought I'd give them a second chance by reviewing this CD. Bad Idea. Since BSF signed to a major and claimed they'd never sell out or change their music, they were, for the most … Read more

Multiple Authors

Boy Sets Fire

Tomorrow Comes Today
Wind-Up (2003)

Whenever a band signs to a major label(or in this case, the closest thing to) you always have naysayers who say, "Oh they are so going to change their sound. Sell outs." Well in 98% of cases, that is wrong. Welcome to the 2%. Now don't get me wrong. I am not calling BSF sellouts. Not at all. What I … Read more

Multiple Authors

Useless I.D.

No Vacation From the World
Kung Fu (2003)

Do we really need another run of the mill pop-punk band? Kung-Fu records seems to think so! That is why they dished out this generic, boring, derivative record for us all to listen to. Maybe if my girlfriend breaks up with me while I'm skateboarding I'll have some new found appreciation for this band, but since I don't have a … Read more

Multiple Authors

Useless I.D.

No Vacation From the World
Kung Fu (2003)

Pop punk is at an all time high: New Found Glory and Blink 182 seem to be on TRL (I haven't watched TRL in many a year, but I think it's safe to assume so), Drive-Thru has an entire stage all to itself at Warped every year and I can't stop hearing about these bands that sound all the same … Read more

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