The Fiery Furnaces
Blueberry Boat
Sanctuary (2004)
Music as true art begs to be delved deeper into. Controversially classic albums such as Daydream Nation, Zen Arcade, and Kid A warrant very little before much time and myriad repeat listens. On first hearing, albums such as the aforementioned often appear completely impenetrable, inaccessible, and, in some cases, entirely unlistenable; nothing exists to grab the listener instantaneously by the … Read more
The Fiery Furnaces
EP
Sanctuary (2005)
A 10-song, 40-minute EP? Talk about cocky! After releasing their 80-minute beast of an album, Blueberry Boat, to my (and a handful of other cultists') absolute euphoria in 2004, what would be a perfectly suitable song amount and running time for a full-length LP for virtually any other band in the musical spectrum is a mere EP to the sweeping, … Read more
The Fifth Alliance
Unrevealed Secrets Of Ruin
Demons Run Amok (2013)
The Fifth Alliance were formed in late 2006 in Bruda, Netherlands. Their sound is a mixture of doom, sludge and hardcore. The members include Silvia on vocals, Niels and Ivo on guitars, Rudd on bass and Ashwin on drums.Although the band was conceived back in 2006, their full length Unrevealed Secrets Of Ruin came out only 7 seven years later, … Read more
The Fire The Flood
Truth Seekers
No Sleep (2007)
The Fire The Flood hails from North Carolina, a state home to metalcore greats Prayer for Cleansing. Unfortunately, the music that makes up Truth Seekers is nothing worth mentioning in the same sentence as one of the purveyors of modern metalcore. Truth Seekers is comprised of thirteen tracks, of which only two clock in over the two-minute mark. Musically, the … Read more
The Fire Theft
The Fire Theft
Rykodisc (2003)
Sunny Day Real Estate was a great band. No one contends with this or argues with this. They fell into that elite category of bands that not only managed to shape one particular sound, but an entire genre of music. Their greatness is further embellished and heightened by the fact that they released a terrible record which doesn't detract from … Read more
The First Step
Connection
Rivalry (2008)
My favorite revival band of the revival youth-crew bands is back with another four-song platter so I can mosh around my apartment, pointer fingers extended and with couch dives in full effect. If you have any love for fast, fun, old-school hardcore then you probably own this and your sofa has already paid the price. Seriously, go cut off some … Read more
The First Step
What We Know
Rivalry (2006)
Almost ten years ago the California hardcore band Chain of Strength asked, "Has the edge gone dull?" The edge hasn't lost any of it's sharpness but has transformed from a simple song written by teenagers in Washington D.C. in the early 80's to a positive filled jock rock by the end of the decade. The 90's itself was a scary … Read more
The Fix
At the Speed of Twisted Thought
Touch & Go (2006)
Let me begin by saying I have a soft spot for early '80s hardcore. There was something special that happened in those few short years that not only changed the face of punk rock forever, but also changed the face of all aggressive music to come. Everybody knows Minor Threat, Black Flag, Bad Brains, et al., but there were a … Read more
The Flaming Lips
At War With the Mystics
Warner Bros. (2006)
Even months before its release, it seemed as if everyone had already assumed that the latest record from The Flaming Lips would effectively mark the end of the band's run as alternative rock's quirky reigning champions. When the first single from At War With the Mystics hit the airwaves, I was almost inclined to believe that it was indeed over. … Read more
The Flash Attacks
Revenge of the Fruit Flies
Circle F (2007)
I know I've said this before, but sometimes a randomly received album can be a pleasant surprise. The Flash Attacks latest 7" release, Revenge of the Fruit Flies arrived at my door unsolicited, but you won't hear me complaining. Over the course of these four songs, the New Jersey three-piece unleashes a high-octane onslaught of hardcore punk with some thrashy … Read more
The Flatliners
Inviting Light
Rise (2017)
Since 2002 Canadian punk band The Flatliners have been making a name for themselves. It’s hard to imagine the same ska/punk band that put out Destroy to Create released an album like Inviting Light. If you couldn’t tell by the album names alone—it’s a departure. Inviting Light is by far the most mature sounding album the band has released, and … Read more
The Flatliners
The Great Awake
Fat Wreck Chords (2007)
The Flatliners hail from Toronto, Canada and The Great Awake is their second full-length. By the Fat Wreck Chords connection, you can certainly expect this, in the most general of descriptions, to be punk music. And sure enough, The Flatliners offer up twelve punk anthems to cause a ruckus to on this album. However, The Flatliners aren't your run-of-the-mill punk … Read more
The Flower Kings
Banks Of Eden
Inside Out (2012)
The Flower Kings is one of those bands that's been floating around my periphery for a very long time without ever coming into clear focus; there always seem to be bigger name bands in their way that draw my attention. But as soon as I was handed a copy of their 2012 album Banks of Eden, it became clear to … Read more
The Flyboys
Complete Flyboys 1979-1980
Frontier Records (2026)
The archival hunt for the "missing links" of first-wave California punk usually leads through a trail of grainy handbill Xeroxes and tape traders' overdubbed copies. But with The Flyboys, the story has always been a bit more elegant—and a lot more colourful. Long before they were swept into the gravity of the Hollywood scene, frontman John Curry was already performing … Read more
The Format
Dog Problems
The Vanity Label (2006)
In all honesty, I chose to review The Format's Dog Problems simply to avoid reviewing a hardcore album, which is often difficult to complete cliché-free, and I would have just said each song makes me want to head-butt the steering wheel of my car. I had little to no interest in this band, or any expectations for this album to … Read more
The Frames
Burn the Maps
Anti (2005)
The Frames are five Dubliners, with a handful of releases already. They use a variety of instruments, ranging from piano to horns and strings, effects, concepts and atmospheric layers shaping their music around human emotion often similar to that of Radiohead and Coldplay. The Frames is: Glen Hansard (Vocals/Guitar), Colm MacConlomaire (Violin/Keyboard/Vocals), Joseph Doyle (Bass/Vocals), Robert Bochnik (Guitar), and Johnny … Read more
The Franklin Cover Up
Commercial
Seven Trumpets (2007)
On first glance The Franklin Cover Up's name may appear silly. But upon further investigation - a child prostitution ring involving several former U.S. government officials - everything begins to make sense. The Idaho metalcore outfit yes I said Idaho delivers nine tracks in twenty minutes on their debut full-length, Commercial. These songs are a mixed bag: some great songs … Read more
The Frontline
Withstand
Grave Mistake (2005)
When hardcore started it was fast, powerful and had a strong positive message. While today much of hardcore has lost its sense of positivity, The Frontline brings a great message and great music back with their debut EP, Withstand. Frontline adds in an uplifting message without sacrificing the intensity, energy and power of the hardcore style. The lyrics speak of … Read more
