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)

Silent Island

The Curse of Coleodeia
Independent (2020)

Hungarian musician Csarnogurszky István is quite prolific, helming Black Hill, musicformessier, Realm of Wolves, Stvannyr, and of course Silent Island. His most recent release is The Curse of Coleodeia under Silent Island. As it can be often witnessed with prolific bands and/or musicians, the output may tend to suffer in quality due to the quantity in which it comes about. It’s obviously not a universal rule, as there are plenty of exceptions around, although it does tend to be the case more often than not. The curse of Coleodeia is one release, which I personally feel took a toll from this. It’s not necessarily bad, although it lacks particular personality, or any redeeming ideas which could make it memorable in any way. It’s surely an easy-going and enjoyable ride for fans of light hearted post-rock and music that isn’t particularly soliciting. Although, it’s really not much more than that, especially considering that it’s rather short, along with the rest of its qualities. Read more

Impure Wilhelmina

Antidote
Season of Mist (2021)

My girlfriend asked me, earlier this year: “why does all music you like sound so bloody serious?”. At first I … Read more

Bambies

Summer Soon
Spaghetty Town Records (2021)

The first song on Sumer Soon is titled “Dirty Taint.” And if that doesn’t put a taste in your mouth … Read more

Voices

An Audience Of Mannequins
Church Road Records (2021)

The British prog-death metallers from Voices are back with some fresh material. It’s not much, but it’s something to hang … Read more

Clown Core

Van
Independent (2020)

Who are Clown Core? Long story short – no idea and no one really knows. There’s a lot of speculation … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Arson Choir

Invisible Monsters
War Against Records (2020)

The Arson Choir are another fine representative of the new wave of American mathcore. They’re a pretty young band, but … Read more

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One from the archives

Robots and Empires

Omnivore
Trip Machine Laboratories (2007)

For a while it seemed like people in hardcore bands would undergo this metamorphosis that changed them from raging balls of adolescent angst into sensitive young adults channeling that angst with more subtlety in their music. This initially spawned the post-hardcore movement where bands like Into Another and Quicksand came into existence. This cycle seems to continue on in one form or another even to this day as people tire of screaming their heads off and move to making more musically accomplished work. Robots and Empire is a band of individuals who have undergone this metamorphosis, changing from people in the metalcore bands When Dreams Die and Drowning Room. Omnivore is the third release from Robots and Empire (following the self released CDs Crawling from the Wreckage and Cast Shadows … Read more

More album reviews

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah

Axiom
Ropeadope Records (2020)

I believe Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah requires practically no other introduction than his name – especially for people savvy within the realm of jazz. The award-winning musician along with his band has managed to throw together a marvelous collection of songs as his third live album, titled succinctly, Axiom. This all went down across four days during March last year … Read more

Fawn Limbs

Darwin Falls
Roman Numeral Records, Wolves & Vibrancy Records (2021)

Transatlantic noise laden mathgrind power trio Fawn Limbs are back with fresh material. What could they possibly have in store this time around? Their prolific catalogue reaches a true high point with their ninth release, Darwin Falls. Physically following in the footsteps of Sleeper Vessels, while aesthetically and spiritually in those of Thrum, Darwin Falls sees the band stepping into … Read more

Luz de Gas

Luz de Gas
Iron Lung (2021)

So many punk albums start strong and lose their energy by the end. This self-titled debut does the opposite, intentionally starting slow and building up tension with an instrumental and then gaining momentum all the way through. It seems the Santiago, Chile-based band released this demo last year and it’s made the rounds, now getting a USA cassette release via … Read more

Book Review

Nik Bärtsch

Listening, Music, Movement, Mind
Lars Müller Publishers (2021)

Based in Zürich, Switzerland, the acclaimed publishing house of Lars Müller is the manifestation of his love for books. Over the last eighteen years, a plethora of carefully curated and edited publications have been published, zeroing in on specialist areas in the realms of society, design, photography, architecture and art, all of which reflect Müller’s eclectic fields of interest. The … Read more

Kaonashi

Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year
Equal Vision, Unbeaten Records (2021)

Let me start by saying that, if you’re into good hardcore and haven’t heard of Kaonashi, you’re missing out. The Philadelphia based five-piece brought their second full-length record to our ears a few months ago. Dear Lemon House, You Ruined Me: Senior Year sees the band maturing in a lot of ways and finding their voice with focus and clarity. … Read more

Totally Slow

Casual Drag
Refresh Records (2021)

I don’t hear skatepunk-influenced bands that catch my attention very often. What was once new and vibrant has grown stale and derivative. Yet, Totally Slow (from North Carolina) have a very clear West Coast ‘90s influence that thrives throughout Casual Drag, their third record. While I hear a lot of familiarity, it still feels urgent and emotional. And while I’m … Read more

Eastern High

Halo
Independent (2021)

It feels like people have sort of given up on doing prog metal with clean vocals, no? Or maybe that’s just me? Or maybe I just started giving up on that area due to its general lack of ingenuity in musical terms and veered more heavily into extreme prog. Regardless, Eastern High have just recently released their second album, titled … Read more

Talk Show Host

Mid-Century Modern
Disconnect/Disconnect, Wiretap Records (2021)

Talk Show Host is a power-pop group from Toronto. And while it’s chock-full of those pleasant, soaring melodies expected of the style, the band establishes its tone early, showing there are some teeth behind the smile with opening track “You Asshole!” Songs like the lead track, “Crisis Actors” and “Warmest Condolences” defy the idea that pop songs are empty, instead … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Gentlemen Rogues

Do the Resurrection
Snappy Little Numbers (2021)

Austin, Texas never disappoints when it comes to being a hotbed for great independent bands and Gentlemen Rogues is no exception. With their Do the Resurrection 7” they showcase not only their weak spot for fuzzed-out guitar driven pop punk, but also their song writing expertise reminiscent of the better moments of acts like XTC, Gaslight Anthem, Teenage Fanclub and … Read more

Hysterese

Hysterese
This Charming Man Records (2021)

The second record of German band Hysterese is a record I own and play quite frequently. To me it is one of those strange records that you enjoy a lot, but didn’t invite you to delve into their past or actively follow the band. Until now. As I saw the band name pop up in the heap of promos I … Read more

Alien Nosejob

HC2
Iron Lung (2021)

It seems that Jake Robertson spent a lot of the past year playing with himself. But haven’t we all? Bad jokes aside, the one-man band put out multiple full-lengths in 2020 and now a new 6-song EP too. Overall, the project is diverse, falling generally within the punk umbrella but different influences scattered as Robertson feels like it. But this … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Black Black

Careful on Your Way Out
Ewel Records (2021)

If one were to define post-punk as the departure from the musical rawness and simplicity of punk rock and the adoption of dancey rock elements, Brooklyn-based The Black Black would fit the bill quite well. Their third long-player spans eight tracks, which sonically traverse bass-centric territory between 1980s sentiments left in the wake of Joy Division and the groovy end … Read more

Proud Parents

At Home With
Independent (2021)

At Home With Proud Parents caught me a little off guard, right from the start. While the debut showcased a variety of influences, this one is even more toned back and chill, in contrast to some members’ other work with The Hussy. The opening track on this sophomore album, “Cellophane” is more of a folk-punk or cowpunk vibe with some … Read more

Hangman’s Hymnal

Small News Travels Fast in a Bad Town
Snappy Little Numbers (2020)

Hangman’s Hymnal is a nice addition to the Snappy Little Numbers roster and every bit as archaic as the title suggests. With a Wild West vibe pervading the songs, they manage to evoke mental images of them holding court in a saloon to perform their seasoned murder folk to a bunch of buzzed delinquents as part of a debaucherous hootenanny … Read more

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