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Spelling Reform

No One’s Ever Changed
Black RD Records (2016)

This was a tough nut to crack. Wow! Why, you ask? Well, this is way out of my comfort zone. It’s as simple as that. Every now and then I enjoy that. It made me discover some great music. Writing about it is a bit more difficult as my frame of reference is a bit limited. So, let’s see what … Read more

Slowdive

Slowdive
Dead Oceans (2017)

Why do bands or musical partners decide to reconvene to see if the magic can still be conjured? There a slew of bands that have reunited for various reasons (cash grabs, nostalgia trips, etc) over the last five to ten years that range from exciting to shaking one’s head as to why reunions take place, and then, every once in … Read more

Great Cynics

Posi
Specialist Subject Records (2017)

Calling their fourth record Posi is an interesting statement about Great Cynic’s vibe across the 11-song, half-hour record. From lyrics about being the clouds and listening to the birds to others that proclaim “what makes you special,” this is posi-punk, music that’s uplifting in an overtly cynical music scene. Hell, see the band’s name for reference.It’s not to say it’s … Read more

Ian William Craig

Slow Vessels
Fat Cat (2017)

The classically trained Ian William Craig released in 2016 one of the best experimental works of the year in Centres. Applying ample processing to his vocals, in effect enhancing the performance, he created an adventurous record without tempering with the underlying emotion. Today he returns with Slow Vessels, a long EP, which extends the concepts of Centres in a very … Read more

Flobots

No Enemies
Independent (2017)

pro·testnounˈprōˌtest/A complaint, objection, or display of unwillingness usually to an idea or a course of action.It's been 5 long years since Flobots released their 2012 effort Circle in the Square. Normally that wouldn't be such a long stretch of time, but given all that's happened within that time frame, it seems like eons since Brer Rabbit, Jonny 5 and Kenny … Read more

Svart Crown

Abreaction
Century Media (2017)

Blackened death metal requires a complex formula. It is not a hybrid state between black and death metal, where 50% of each individual component will give you the appropriate result. Svart Crown belongs in the few bands that understand how to get his sound right, and they have been traveling this distance since their debut album, Ages of Decay, came … Read more

Video/DVD Review

Cult of Luna

Years In A Day
Indie Recordings (2017)

Years in a Day, a Live DVD/CD combo, is the latest release from Sweden’s Cult of Luna. A DVD featuring a 13-song live performance and two live CDs, each with 7-song performances, are included. Intense photographic artwork and thorough visual coverage of their live set make this release a special experience and a physical release that will highlight any collection. … Read more

Western Addiction

Tremulous
Fat Wreck Chords (2017)

Has it really been 12 years since Cognicide? Well, Western Addiction are back with another single word, make-you-think album title in Tremulous. They may have skipped releasing records for the entire Obama presidency (plus some), but the band didn’t mellow with age.Tremulous is 11 songs of melodic hardcore. Led by Chad Williams’ power drumming, Williams punctuates the sound while the … Read more

The Slackers

Redlight (20th Anniversary)
Pirates Press (2017)

Has it really been twenty years since this album made its way out into the world? Time does fly by when you are living life, but Redlight does not sound like a two decade old record in the least bit; the Slackers still sound down right in the moment with their second album and that in it of itself is … Read more

Oxbow

Thin Black Duke
Hydra Head (2017)

I first saw Oxbow perform live back in 2007. The band has just released their then new album, The Narcotic Story, and the experience was simply beyond words. I was not familiar with their back catalogue and they completely stunned me, apart from the vocalist methodically removing his items of clothing through the show, was their radical take on rock … Read more

Planning For Burial

Below The House
Flenser (2017)

Would you rather a musician be great live commanding all manner of powers that conjure spirits and whisk the entire gathering to a place of other or of temporary enlightenment, or would you rather that same musician be a paragon of studio craft, wielding instruments like a paintbrush and the studio like a canvas?I was standing on the side of … Read more

Pharmakon

Contact
Sacred Bones (2017)

Back in 2014, Margaret Chardier came face to face with a life-threatening situation, which inspired her new record at the time, Bestial Burden. As was the case with her third record, her previous works were dealing with the human experience, the disconnect between mind and body, and the notion of one's mind being trapped inside their body. A young veteran, … Read more

L.A. Takedown

II (2017)
Ribbon Music (2017)

You don’t need to have been to Los Angeles to best experience L.A. Takedown’s latest album, II. It’s an album that’s evocative of a time and place, though it’s one that may or may not exist. The fact that it’s almost entirely instrumental (save for some lightly sprinkled vocoder in its final moments) doesn’t provide any concrete evidence. It’s an … Read more

Jim and the French Vanilla

Afraid of the House
Dirtnap (2017)

Jim and the French Vanilla is the solo moniker for Jim Blaha, guitarist in The Blind Shake, a band with have several of their own releases, as well as collaborations with notables like Michael Yonkers and John Reis. This is his third “French Vanilla” release, but the first with true distribution and also the first to feature a full band.There … Read more

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