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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)

CJ Ramone

The Holy Spell
Fat Wreck Chords (2019)

As of August 6th, it’s been 23 long, languid year’s since The Ramones played their final show. Since then, all the original members - Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy have been called home. Richie and Marky continue to carry the flag, but it’s CJ that’s been keeping the Ramones spirit alive and well through the past two decades. Whether through Los Gusanos, or Bad Chopper or as a solo artist, he’s proven that both with The Ramones and long after, he’s been the unsung hero of the group, producing album after album of high-octane rock ‘n roll and keep the legacy of The Ramones strong and vibrant. August 6, 1996 marked the closing of one chapter, and it would appear CJ’s latest album, The Holy Spell is the end of another, as he intends to stop the touring grind and start concentrating on other things, like becoming a tattoo artist and writing a long-awaited book. The Holy Spell kicks open the suicide doors with "One High One Low" and fires through tunes like "Crawling From the Wreckage" and "Blue Skies", making it abundantly clear that he and the Ramones will forever be inexorably linked. It has nothing to do … Read more

New Dialogue

Teach Me How to Feel EP
RED Music (2019)

New Dialogue's Facebook bio states that the Los Angeles-based quintet "speaks for the moment", and with their band name they … Read more

Drunktank

Return Of The Infamous Four
Morning Wood Records (2019)

It has been nine years since their début album, The Infamous Four. That’s a long time. Long enough to call … Read more

Kira Jari

Spooky Freaky EP
Dirt Cult (2019)

Spooky Freaky is a good debut from an intriguing new-ish band from Texas. Even if the EP name makes me … Read more

Ink Bomb

Fiction
Independent (2019)

What I like about loads of European bands is that they sing in their native tongue. Sure, you’ll find bands … Read more

Aseethe

Throes
Thrill Jockey (2019)

Aseethe’s sludgy doom as kept them a part of the underground for over a decade and for the Iowa-based trio, … Read more

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One from the archives

Dark/Light

Dark Slash Light
Dirt Cult (2018)

Portland’s Dark/Light pronounces their name phonetically, including the punctuation. They’re doubling down on that element by naming this 7”, released this past June, Dark Slash Light. SPB had the pleasure of hosting their earlier LP, Kill Some Time.As for this 4-song, 9-minute release, it keeps going in that tradition of gritty and to-the-point punk that pulls from ‘80s punk roots but has a restrained, pull-it-back and look inward vibe. It’s short and fast with fuzzy DIY-minded production, muddy bass, and that restrained energy. Candy’s vocals often establish the direction of the songs as the percussion delivers an anxious core. To me, “Rotting” is the best example of what they do. It’s only a minute and nine seconds, but it builds at the start, hits with a potent energy, and offers … Read more

More album reviews

Billy Liar

Some Legacy
Red Scare Industries (2019)

I don’t know much about Billy Liar, but Red Scare has rarely turned out a bad release so I picked Some Legacy out of the pile with some hope -- and it delivers. Liar is a Scottish musician who has been playing under the moniker since 2006. Sometimes he tours solo, sometimes with a band.On Some Legacy there are shades … Read more

Reunions

Winter Heart, Summer Skin
Independent (2019)

I must have slowed down over the years. At least I hope my recent interest in bands like Reunions or Nightmarathons reflects my now 40 years-old perspective more than it reflects of some kind of nostalgia bender. Because I’m truly enjoying these mid-tempo rising tide records, including this new self-released Winter Heart, Summer Skin that’s heavy on the hardcore-inspired emocore … Read more

Various Artists

Moloch/Groak - split EP
Dry Cough (2019)

Sometimes, no matter how much you like a band, they just fall off your radar. Not because of you being uninterested. Sometimes it just happens. Moloch is such a band for me. After discovering them way back when I lost sight of what they were doing. Upon rediscovering them I tracked down what I could find of their discography only … Read more

Charger

Charger
Pirates Press (2019)

The debut from Charger finds that gray area between punk and metal that’s hard to pigeonhole to a specific genre. You’ll see more than one Motorhead reference in this review, which is both a good place to start and a pretty good complement.Motorhead is really what comes to mind on a play-through of this ripper: just 7 songs over 19 … Read more

Drei Affen

Seguimos Ciegxs
PIFIA RECORDS/THROUGH LOVE REC/LEFT HAND LABEL/ZEGEMA BEACH (2019)

Some bands really know how to unite. Drei Affen is one of those bands. They make a sport out of uniting labels on their releases. No less than 17 labels came together to release their debut self-titled EP and 12 labels were involved with the split with Coma Regalia. With only four labels involved in the release of second EP … Read more

BIG|BRAVE

A Gaze Among Them
Southern Lord (2019)

Big | Brave set out on a sonic journey influenced and inspired by diverse forces. For the band, on the one hand there was the elusive pull of their native Montreal post-rock scene, but on the other side there was the inclination towards the heavier post-metal and drone trajectories. It was this dichotomy that fuelled two excellent works in Au … Read more

Evening Standards

World’s End
Lets Pretend (2019)

It’s a dramatic understatement to say that music has changed since I first discovered DIY in the 1990s. But in many ways, one of the first things I discovered about real people making music, is that contacting a label you like usually leads to good things. While you can sample music online nowadays and there are ample bot-driven “recommended if … Read more

Black Dots

Everything Has Gotta Change
Snappy Little Numbers / La Escalera Records (2019)

Some albums just hit you right away. I was vaguely aware of Black Dots – some friends saw them at The Fest last year and said nice things, so I figured I should check it out myself when a lovely one-sided 12” showed up at my door.Everything Has Gotta Change hits immediately. Opener “I’m Already Gone” lays the framework: introducing … Read more

Aaron Rice

Neverfade/For Dusk
Elizabeth Label (2019)

Aaron Rice deftly wades through the debris of a break-up on his debut solo LP Neverfade/For Dusk, where his songs are bolstered by addictive synths that alternately lurk behind percussive bass or envelop the tracks. Rice's voice veers between being sparse and elegiac at points, while at others vocal manipulation makes his voice take on a deep, otherworldly sound over … Read more

Vånna Inget

Utopi
Gaphals Records (2019)

Vånna Inget is a band I almost forgot about. That’s what six year of absence can do. Things have not been completely quiet during those years to be honest. There has been a single and a live-album, but those releases flew under my radar. Seeing the bands name pop-up in the promo-bin re-ignited something for me. I really liked the … Read more

We Never Learned To Live

The Sleepwalk Transmissions
Holy Roar Records (2019)

With the music world transferring more and more to a digital world I sometimes feel that the artwork that acompanies an album has become less and less important. I mean, the transition from LP to CD meant the room for artwork was smaller. The transition to the digital format means there’s even less space for artwork. And then there’s stuff … Read more

The Dead Cvlt

The Cataclyst
PRSPCT Records (2019)

Rotterdam, Netherlands-based supergroup The Dead Cult has release their debut EP The Cataclyst on PRSPCT records. This looks to be one of very few if not the only album on this label which has such strong punk and metal influences. While they are a supergroup, they do not represent just one scene. They are a hybrid of punk, metal, drum … Read more

Orphanage Named Earth

Saudade
Sanctus Propaganda/Phobia Records (2019)

Last year around this time I was reviewing the debut album of Orphanage Named Earth. It was an album I enjoyed but had some remarks on as well. My two main remarks on the album were that the vocals tended to be a bit monotonous and secondly that the songwriting became a little formulaic. Not in a way it hindered … Read more

Howardian

The Silly Shit You Say
Lets Pretend (2019)

While the title of Howardian’s fourth LP, The Silly Shit You Say, imparts a whimsical, spontaneous first impression, the record itself feels complete. This isn’t some spur-of-the-moment side project from Ian Vanek (Japanther), it’s the real deal.Overall I’d say the influence of this record is 1980s new wave mixed with new millennium DIY punk and a dose of lo-fi. Keyboards … Read more

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