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Grit

Ghost estates EP
Distro-y Records (2017)

Do you ever play games where you imagine what would have happened if an artist or a band would have had other influences than they had now? For example: what if Girlschool would have listened to punk instead of New Wave of British Heavy Metal? What would their albums have sounded like? My best guess is it would have sounded … Read more

Worm Ouroboros

What Graceless Dawn
Profound Lore (2016)

Lorraine Rath and Jessica Way initiated a mystical journey with Worm Ouroboros, blurring the lines between doom metal, post-rock, neo-folk and dark ambiance, attempting to create music that is as powerful as it is otherworldly. Releasing their debut album in 2010, they were soon joined by drummer Aesop Dekker, whose first contribution came in the band's sophomore record, Come The … Read more

Burial Hex

Throne
Cold Spring (2016)

I have the feeling that Burial Hex has been around for a long time. I do not know why I get this impression, and it is true that the project of Clay Ruby has been around for about ten years now, but listening to his music it really gives me this impression of a true veteran, someone who has been … Read more

Mayhaw Hoons & the Outsiders

Lime Green
Good Cheer Records (2017)

When John Lennon went into the studio to record the vocals for "Twist and Shout" he had already taken multiple throat lozenges and even gargled some milk to combat the sore throat he was suffering from at the time. The recording, a throat-shredding, rough-edged track that sounded unlike any of the band's other songs, left Lennon's throat feeling like sandpaper … Read more

Career Suicide

Machine Response
Deranged (2017)

Sometimes I love the predictable unpredictability of punk. You hear the name Career Suicide and think a certain sound and, well, they’re right in line with that. Here on Machine Response the band mixes ‘80s hardcore, snot-punk and more in a blitz of a record. It’s aggressive and relentless, but mired in a traditional sound that merges melody and anger, … Read more

Downfall Of Gaia

Atrophy
Metal Blade (2016)

Downfall of Gaia is a prime example of the underground post-hardcore and post-crust scenes. Starting off in 2008, the band came into the prominence with their debut full-length, Epos, a record that introduced the potential of the band, the elements that would later bloom into making them what they are today. It is no coincidence that Metal Blade snatched them, … Read more

Various Artists

Selvans / Downfall of Nur - s/t Split
Avantgarde Music (2016)

Both Selvans and Downfall of Nur are prime examples of the quality of underground black metal. Both bands do not register their sound with the bitter traditional approach of the genre, and rather temper with mellower tendencies. Selvans depicted thoroughly their understanding of the folkish side of the genre in their excellent Lupercalia album, while Downfall of Nur attempts in … Read more

Mind Spiders

Prosthesis
Dirtnap (2016)

Mind Spiders continues to be a very accurate name as the sound evolves.The one-time “solo” Mark Ryan project was to be his creative space for worlds outside of the garage-punk perfection of bands like The Marked Men. It began sounding a little like The Marked Men + keyboards and, oh, how it’s grown.Today Mind Spiders are a band, albeit still … Read more

Multiple Authors

AFI

AFI (The Blood Album)
Concord Music Group (2017)

AFI's trajectory over the last twenty and more years has been one that emulates growth and experimentation and the quartet that once sang about not being allowed a mohawk is now one that that sings about much darker, twisted subjects (although in more obvious terms than they once did). Still led by the effervescent Davey Havok, AFI are a band … Read more

Multiple Authors

AFI

AFI (The Blood Album)
Concord Music Group (2017)

Album number ten for the ever-evolving Californian four piece, whose shift in sound from skate punk to hardcore to "goth punk" to pop-influenced radio rock to... whatever 2009's Crash Love was... is well documented. And now here we are, after the gritty, aggressive Burials: a self-titled album also known as "The Blood Album".At first listen it's not too dissimilar from … Read more

Civil War Rust

Help Wanted
Say-10 (2015)

With Help Wanted, California’s Civil War Rust aren’t inventing any new sounds but they’re delivering heartfelt, direct punk rock in a familiar and comforting tone. It leans more toward the introspective and personal, pop-structured and relatively clean in production while letting the energy and emotion carry the tunes. I made a repeated (early period) Alkaline Trio comparison when I reviewed … Read more

Blessed

Blessed EP
Coin Toss Records/Kingfisher Blues (2016)

Don't you just love how you know what you're going to get from just the name of a band? Just think of all those verb-the-noun bands out there. Not so with simple band names. The name Blessed does not give much to work with. The cover art is a good second hint of what you're getting yourself into. With an … Read more

Ódú

Conversations EP
Independent (2017)

Ódú, aka Sally Ó Dúnlaing, is an Irish singer songwriter who crafts sonic heartbreak packaged in a glossy sheen of danceable pop. Born in New York and raised in the Irish seaside town of Bray, Ó Dúnlaing's Conversations EP is the singer's first foray into putting her music on record. After a period of time spent questioning whether she was … Read more

Lorn

Arrayed Claws
I, Voidhanger (2017)

I still remember when Lorn released their debut full-length, Towards the Abyss of Disease, where their raw and unapologetic black metal blew me away. Their sound was well structured, and even though it was not diverging from the core of the genre, they achieved in building a distinct sound, within the traditional boundaries. Unfortunately, releases have been quite sparse for … Read more

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