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)

Grave Pleasures

Motherblood
Century Media (2017)

Grave Pleasures is the evolution and continuation of Beastmilk. Back in 2013, the project led by Mat “Kvohst” McNerney, released Climax, a record combining the post-punk nostalgia, the darkwave influence along with a pop-induced sensitivity. The record was filled with hits, stunning hooks and explosive tracks. Unfortunately Beastmilk could not continue in the same form, so lo and behold Grave Pleasures was born, and their debut album Dreamcrash was released.Despite following the formula of Climax, there was something essential missing from Dreamcrash. Even though the album was by no account bad, it lacked the magic that Climax was able to bring to the front. Where Dreamcrash felt like the band was in between phases, its follow-up Motherblood comes to fulfil the promises this style had made. With McNerney and Juho Vanhanen (of Oranssi Pazuzu) combining to write the majority of the songs, Motherblood finds the band rejuvenated, oozing with a sense of new found purpose. What is unique, and has always remained the case with Grave Pleasures and Beastmilk before them, is the band's ability to combine the heavy, sharp rocking riffs with this direct and open pop essence, a lineage descending from David Bowie to the new wave visionaries … Read more

Multiple Authors

Grave Pleasures

Motherblood
Century Media (2017)

The Grave Pleasures story is one that began many moons ago in 2010; beginning life as Beastmilk and led by … Read more

BIG|BRAVE

Ardor
Southern Lord (2017)

I love music that expands as it moves as if it is pushing glaciers, building worlds, or splitting atoms. Music … Read more

The Slow Death

Punishers
Rad Girlfriend Records (2017)

Punishers is the third LP from The Slow Death, fronted by ex-Pretty Boy Thorson & the Falling Angels mouthpiece Jesse … Read more

Death From Above

Outrage! Is Now
Last Gang (2017)

So long, 1979. D.F.A. are back without the tag and without the chronological baggage that came along with their previous … Read more

Jarboe & Father Murphy

Jarboe & Father Murphy
Consouling Sounds (2017)

Jarboe has been known for her numerous and diverse collaborations. The former Swans member has gone to perform with an … Read more

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One from the archives

Cult of Luna

Somewhere Along the Highway
Earache (2006)

Multiple Authors

Cult of Luna is a guilty pleasure of mine. They are a good band that has the tendency to get hammered by the music press for being derivative of Isis and Neurosis, in essence a third generation Neurosis influenced band. Prior to this album, the band's sound has progressed along the same general game plan that was set up by Neurosis (to an extent, although wholly without intention) and then followed by Isis. "Marching to the Heartbeats" is a calm, bleak opener for Somewhere Along the Highway. It is mellow sounding and the vocals have a depressed tone to them. "Finland" explodes from the speakers as Cult of Luna has established themselves to do before falling into a Panopticon-esque calm, almost shoegaze passage with a complete lack of vocals. From … Read more

More album reviews

Myrkur

Mareridt
Relapse (2017)

Before dwelling into the extreme metal scene, Amalie Bruun was known from a few indie releases, which merged an alternative pop style with elements of traditional folk music. A self-defined black metal girl at heart, Bruun started moving away from her mellow side, and begun transforming into Myrkur, her black metal alter ego. Her project caused a turmoil in the … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Crutches

Såld
Distro-y Records (2017)

Crutches strike again by doing what they do best. Playing d-takt, mangel or crust or whatever you want to call it. 2015 saw the release of FörlOrAD getting praised for its rawness whilst not forgetting to write actual songs. After that Eddie joined the band on guitar, but this didn’t really change the sound. Never change a winning team they … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Rixe

Baptême Du Feu
La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk (2017)

More killer punk from everybody’s favorite French Oi! perfectionists. Baptême Du Feu (which translates to Baptism by Fire) is the third Rixe 7” now and they show no signs of fatigue. They’re as urgent and powerful as ever – a gruff and spirited sound that pushes adrenaline into overdrive. “Paris-Est” is a standout track. It starts off with a killer … Read more

Neil Young

Hitchhiker
Warner Bros. (2017)

Neil Young is cool as shit... there I got that out of the way. He has been an inspiration to numerous bands over his 50+ year career working with Buffalo Springfield, CSNY, and his solo work. Young has played with musicians as diverse as Rick James in their first band together in the 60s dubbed The Mynah Birds, to Pearl … Read more

Zola Jesus

Okovi
Sacred Bones (2017)

Nicole Hummel aka Zola Jesus, is one of the most enticing singer/songwriters of the current scene. By incorporating elements of electronica and industrial alongside a darkwave tone and with classical leanings, she has released a series of great records highlighting her intricate sound. From the extreme days of her debut, The Spoils, in 2009, Zola Jesus has been projecting an … Read more

Lost Balloons

Hey Summer
Dirtnap (2017)

By now it feels like hitting repeat, but for the uninitiated, Lost Balloons has to be introduced through the Marked Men timeline. The beloved Texas garage-punk band went on hiatus sometime back, when member Jeff Burke relocated to Japan. He’s since returned to the US and plays sporadically with Marked Men, as well as Radioactivity and other projects. But, while … Read more

Nordra

Nordra
Sige (2017)

Hailing from Seattle Washington, Monika Khot produces music under the Nordra moniker and is now releasing her self-titled debut album. Coming out from SIGE records, her record encompass a diverse set of elements, which while at first glance might appear inhumane and mechanical, under the surface contain moving moments and a lot of emotion. The album was initially released last … Read more

Book Review

GG Allin

My Prison Walls
Independent (2016)

There's been many words used to describe GG Allin.PunkFelonSado-MasochistShit TerroristOk, in all fairness, that last one was used to describe Mike Patton, but believe me when I say, folks - it's applicable.Kevin Michael Allin was not a complex man, but a fucked up individual whose extreme music and shows had a tendency to unnerve even the most hardened of punks.My … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Tex, Don and Charlie

You Don’t Know Lonely
EMI (2017)

Bonafide legends of the Australian music scene, Tex, Don and Charlie are somewhat an Australian super group with gravitas aplomb.Comprised of Tex Perkins (The Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon), Don Walker (Cold Chisel) and Charlie Owen, the trio first incarnated in 1993 and has since released an album every 12 years. The formula has not changed much, despite the passing … Read more

Queens of the Stone Age

Villains
Matador (2017)

au·da·ciousôˈdāSHəs/adjectiveShowing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.The one mission statement that Josh Homme and Queens of the Stone Age has long established was to never make the same album twice. Four years after their strongest effort yet, ...Like Clockwork - Queens have taken another left turn at Albuquerque and continued this tradition with Villains - a wholly unexpected yet … Read more

Impure Wilhelmina

Radiation
Season of Mist (2017)

Why I choose to review Radiation I can’t exactly recall (perhaps sharing members with Rorcal and Vuyvr did the trick, perhaps it was just the description “post-hardcore” that triggered my interest); whatever it was, the album surprised me, let me tell you that. I was expecting post-hardcore from this Swiss band (as the promo said it would deliver just that) … Read more

Rancid

Trouble Maker
Hellcat (2017)

It’s strange to me to realize that Rancid just released their ninth album. It’s a mark of age, not to mention that they haven’t been the most productive band on the block since the 3-year spree of LPs 1-3 from 1993-1995. Mostly it just makes me feel old, which is also how their last album, (the disappointing) Honor Is All … Read more

White Suns

Psychic Drift
Flenser (2017)

White Suns, the New York based noise trio, has been slowly descending on the path of deconstruction. Founded in 2006, the band has released a series of albums, presenting an experimental rock perspective and subsequently deconstructing it to its most basic core. The highlight of this process was Totem, a record where at times it felt like the experimental aspect … Read more

Moon Duo

Occult Architecture Vol I & II
Sacred Bones (2017)

Based in San Fransisco, Moon Duo is the brainchild of Erik “Ripley” Johnson, known from his work in Wooden Shjips, and Sanae Yamada. Centering around a psychedelic perspective, the band has released a series of works, influenced by garage aesthetics and krautrock, projecting their own trippy themes within an existing framework.Occult Architecture is Moon Duo's latest full-length releases. Split into … Read more

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