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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)

Barcelona

Extremo Nihilismo En Barcelona
La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk (2015)

Similar to how Sorry State, Vinyl Rites, Lengua Armada, or Katorga Works do here in the US, Hackney, London-based record label La Vida Es Un Mus (subtitled Discos Punk) tend to work with bands that challenge the constraints of traditional hardcore and punk, which in turn sets them apart from the masses. The latest in a long line that includes Anasazi, Escroto De Rata, Hoax, my personal favorite, Glam (with whom Barcelona share members,) and most-recently LA’s Blazing Eye, comes this new 12” 45 rpm EP, Extremo Nihilismo En Barcelona. And yes, the quartet is indeed named after their residence in Barcelona, Spain.All the lyrics are in Spanish, and sung by the former vocalist of Firmeza 10. Her nasally throat oozes malice that is impossible to shake; a true voice of the angry and alienated. The bass and drums have a peculiar rigidness to them; certainly in the D-beat vein, but not dumbed-down Discharge worship by any means. It pulls you cranium first into mean-mugged, head-nodding obedience. The guitars surge forth with power; every so often spinning out of control in a squealing, fitful manner that will have you involuntarily shaking your body as if you’re fighting off an exorcism. … Read more

Timeshares

Already Dead
Side One Dummy (2015)

This isn’t what I expected—there’s way more country punk twang than when I caught a short pre-Fest show from Timeshares … Read more

Minsk

The Crash & The Draw
Relapse (2015)

I was quite surprised when I heard that Minsk were going to release a follow-up full-length to their previous album, … Read more

Frog

Kind Of Blah
Audio Antihero (2015)

Frog’s second LP Kind of Blah is one that swings from highs to lows, from poppy pep to slowed down … Read more

Little Sister

Split Up
Independent (2015)

Little Sister is an East Bay post-punk group with a passionate and well-deserved local following. The trio consists of Monbon … Read more

Dark Ages

Vapor
Sorry State (2015)

“You have been wasted. You have been taken for a ride.” That line from the title track of the new … Read more

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One from the archives

Xibalba

Self Titled
A389 (2011)

Xibalba translates to "Place Of Fear" meaning a place where the evil go when they die in Mayan culture. There is no more fitting name for what Xibalba, the band, do musically. Over the past few years the band has managed to build a relentlessly heavy sound giving nods to Max Cavalera era Sepultura and Disembodied. These influences are readily apparent in the bands heavily down tuned metallic style. This release in itself acts as a catch up to those not familiar. Allowing for a remastering of their prior releases. This Includes the Madre Mia Gracias Por Los Dias full length released in 2009 as well as the more recent three way split with Ruckus and World Of Pain. This allows for the bands output to be taken in by … Read more

More album reviews

Powernap

Oreosmith EP
Asian Man (2015)

Oreosmith, whatever the hell that title means, is the first release from Powernap and it’s familiar and powerful, leaving curious signs of where the band may develop. The general sound is gruff, mid-tempo punk a la Jawbreaker or The Broadways.The EP is 6 songs long, clocking at 18 minutes and it keeps a defined sound throughout. The mid-tempo numbers like … Read more

Faith No More

Sol Invictus
Reclamation Recordings/Ipecac (2015)

June, 1997.Hanson's Mmmbop was at the top of the charts. Hype was building for James Cameron's soon-to-be-released new film Titanic. Layne Staley and Princess Diana had yet to shuffle off this mortal coil. And Faith No More's Album of the Year hit the shelves - what was to be the last album the band released before calling it quits the … Read more

Arcturus

Arcturian
Prophecy Productions (2015)

The fact that both the new Arcturus and the new Dodheimsgard albums are being released in the same year seems insane for me. On one hand Dodheimsgard had to take eight years in order to put out there latest, magnificent album A Umbra Omega, and just a few months later Arcturus would be releasing Arcturian, their first album in a … Read more

Gay Kiss

Preservation Measures
Sorry State (2015)

In this current age of ‘80s hardcore worship overload, it’s refreshing when something this original comes along, even if said originality is the result of a convergence of styles. Phoenix, AZ four-piece Gay Kiss grind and groove forth with teeth-clenching, throat-ripping, temple-piercing rage on their new LP, Preservation Measures. The production is slick but not glaringly clean; perfect for the … Read more

Dan Webb and the Spiders

Now It Can Be Told
Safe Responsible (2014)

Dan Webb and the Spiders have been out spreading their punk rock for a few years now. They've collected a bunch of unreleased tracks, some singles and splits, as well as some bonus tracks from their second album and put them on one big compilation for all to enjoy in one place. Now It Can Be Told is perfect for … Read more

Anti-Flag

American Spring
Spinefarm Records (2015)

Barack Obama recently apologised to the families of two Western hostages killed during US drone strikes in January in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The use of drones is nothing new, they've been used since George W Bush was commander in chief, and it seems the narrative of American politics never greatly changes. The only thing that does change is the level … Read more

Soup Moat

Enjoy Your Hobbies
Triple Eye Industries (2015)

Doubled-up, sometimes indecipherable screamed vocals, waves of sludgy, growling guitar and a thudding, powerful rhythm section ensure that Enjoy Your Hobbies, a 7” vinyl release from Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Soup Moat, is anything but dull. Containing five tracks falling in the one to two minute range, this album switches things up from assaults of mangled sound (opener “Comfy One”) to more … Read more

The Lookouts

Spy Rock Road (And Other Stories)
Don Giovanni (2015)

I was apprehensive about reviewing this record. When hear “music by teenagers,” it tends to mean preachy and rather one-sided political rants that are well meaning but, well, immature or not all that developed. Plus teenage voices aren’t all that great to hear singing, know what I mean?The Lookouts were a band comprised of Larry Livermore (not a teenager at … Read more

Built To Spill

Untethered Moon
Warner Bros. (2015)

Calling Untethered Moon guitar rock is somewhere to start. While the band takes their chops from the 1990s alternative boom, the defining moments of their songs come out of the guitars rather than in vocal styling or rhythmic direction. This record succeeds or fails because of that guitar. (See what I just did there? Now you have to keep reading.)As … Read more

Death Grips

Jenny Death
Harvest / Third Worlds (2015)

I almost don’t want to write a review for experimental rap outfit Death Grips, because I feel like I’d be giving them exactly what they want: attention. Their overly abrasive attitude – from no-show live shows to perpetually shitting on their record label via publicity stunts – comes off as an immature gimmick begging for press. But it would be … Read more

Six Of Swords

Polar Vortex EP
Sorrow Carrier Records (2015)

Modern death metal often suffers under the weight of trying to emulate old school heroes while not doing very much of interest at all, so it’s a nice surprise when a newer project manages to pay homage to the old days while still bringing a nice modern flavour to proceedings. Six of Swords, who hail from Toronto, play death metal … Read more

Dodheimsgard

A Umbra Omega
Peaceville (2015)

It always takes a while for Dodheimsgard (DHG) to release a new album, but it is also always worth the wait. The experimental alchemists from Norway started off their career back in the mid ‘90s when the second wave of black metal bands was starting to come together. The core of the band back then with the release of their … Read more

Strung Out

Transmission.Alpha.Delta.
Fat Wreck Chords (2015)

There are some albums that you hear for the first time and fall in love instantly. There are others that require repeated listens in order to grasp the depth and complexity of the material. These albums get progressively more enjoyable as you listen to them. With every spin another pleasant nuance exposes itself. Strung Out’s latest album Transmission.Alpha.Delta falls into … Read more

Derek Grant

Breakdown
Red Scare Industries (2015)

Chances are, most listeners have would heard everything on Derek Grant’s 2015 solo album Breakdown before - it seems to imitate everything from the driving road music of Jackson Browne to the ballads of Guns ‘n’ Roses while frequently capturing an alt-country vibe that might be unexpected coming from a musician undoubtedly best known for drumming in punk group Alkaline … Read more

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