Thrice
Artist In the Ambulance
Island (2003)
This record is by no means bad, but it's also not a great record. As a newcomer to Thrice, I was prepared to give this an un-biased review. Once I'd sat and listened through the record, I was sad to hear (literally) that they didn't stand out much from the current crop of hardcore/emo/punk/metal-core bands currently populating the scene. While … Read more
Thrice
Artist In the Ambulance
Island (2003)
You've heard this record before. Honestly, you have. The last time that band you know jumped ship from their indie and put out a big budget major label debut, actually. Cave In already made this record earlier this year. Granted, Cave In had a mind-blowing first record to give themselves some credibility, which Thrice most certainly did not, but let's … Read more
Thrice
Artist In the Ambulance
Island (2003)
Thrice have built quite a large fanbase in quite a short period of time. Perhaps this was one of the factors that led them to singing to a major label (Island) and subsequently shooting out a new record less than a year and a half after the release of their second full-length record, The Illusion of Safety. Illusion sparked that … Read more
Thursday
War All the Time
Island (2003)
Thursday is an odd band. They released their first record, Waiting, to complete apathy. Then, Full Collapse arrived, and suddenly Thursday found itself in the odd position of being everyone's favorite new band. Granted, there's many better, or more interesting bands out there; Thursday, starting with Waiting, never attempted to be the most challenging or innovative. They've always worked to … Read more
Thursday
War All the Time
Island (2003)
Of all these "emo" bands around right now, Thursday is the one that continually disappoints me. I see in Thursday the potential to do something good, but the band keeps falling into the same pitfalls and trappings of a genre that's been exploited and dumbed-down for the masses one too many times. The ideas they have are continually squashed by … Read more
Thursday / Envy
Split
Temporary Residence (2008)
The pairing of a so-called emo band from New Jersey and a screamo/post-rock band from Japan may seem odd. But for those well versed in the recordings of both Thursday and Envy, this partnering of punk-minded individuals makes a lot of sense. Thursday begin the split with "As He Climbed the Dark Mountain." The sound set forth by the New … Read more
Thursday / Envy
Split
Temporary Residence (2008)
Envy is having an extremely busy year in 2008: re-releasing much of their back catalog, the Abyssal EP, a split with Jesu, and now a split with Thursday (actually, between the two splits and the EP, Envy could very well have released a new full-length on their own). Thursday, on the other hand, is in the midst of a fairly … Read more
Tom Waits
Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards
Anti (2006)
What are your criteria for a good album, a good record, a good song even? For me, the criteria are many; but there is one that really separates the great records from the good records and that is the ability of a piece of music to elicit a significant emotional response. That tiny requirement means a world of difference. It … Read more
Tom Waits
Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards
Anti (2006)
I'm not going to lie to you. This review isn't going to be unbiased. It isn't going to be impartial. It isn't going to be neutral in any way, shape, or form in the way that all good reviews are supposed to be. I'm a big Tom Waits fan; so much so that in 1999, I spent over a thousand … Read more
Tomahawk
Oddfellows
Ipecac (2013)
In the summer of 1992, my older brother drove me to Tower Records to buy the new album by a band called Faith No More. Angel Dust was quite a departure from their previous album due to the increased influence of vocalist Mike Patton. As a 14-year-old burgeoning music fanatic, I was fascinated by the idea that such aggressive and experimental music could … Read more
Tomahawk
Oddfellows
Ipecac (2013)
It's been over 5 years since the world has been graced with anything new from Tomahawk, the pseudo-supergroup featuring the triumvirate of Duane Denison, Mike Patton and John Stainer. 2007's polarizing Anonymous was an earnest exploration down the less-travelled dirt roads of the Native American experience. The album saw the group working as a trio since ankling bassist Kevin Rutmanis, with Denison performing … Read more
Useless I.D.
No Vacation From the World
Kung Fu (2003)
Do we really need another run of the mill pop-punk band? Kung-Fu records seems to think so! That is why they dished out this generic, boring, derivative record for us all to listen to. Maybe if my girlfriend breaks up with me while I'm skateboarding I'll have some new found appreciation for this band, but since I don't have a … Read more
Useless I.D.
No Vacation From the World
Kung Fu (2003)
Pop punk is at an all time high: New Found Glory and Blink 182 seem to be on TRL (I haven't watched TRL in many a year, but I think it's safe to assume so), Drive-Thru has an entire stage all to itself at Warped every year and I can't stop hearing about these bands that sound all the same … Read more
Useless I.D.
No Vacation From the World
Kung Fu (2003)
Useless ID deserve so much props, it is utterly ridiculous. I know I don't really like them but you have to respect a band that has come out and done what they have while hailing from Israel. It takes a little more than hardwork to pull that off, and for that, awesome job guys. Now onto the cd. The cd … Read more
Watain
The Wild Hunt
Century Media (2013)
Watain have been around for a long, long time but it’s only really recently that the band have broken out of the confines of the underground and became a black metal band that graces magazine front covers and headlines tours across the world. The Swedes have been a heady presence on the scene back home and with 2010s Lawless Darkness, their … Read more
Watain
The Wild Hunt
Century Media (2013)
Watain has been on the cusp of something huge for the last couple years. With a handful of great records and a live show that could manage to get a mention from even the most jaded of writers. The band stowed away with an intent to write something that would be true to them but also capitalize on their successes. … Read more
Where Fear and Weapons Meet
Control
Eulogy (2003)
This 6 song EP is nothing to start a big hoopla over. Sounds like basic, run of the mill hardcore to me. There is probably a little local band in your scene that does hardcore just as well. If you're a hardcore kid, you'll probably like this, if you're not, you probably won't. Read more
Where Fear and Weapons Meet
Control
Eulogy (2003)
I enjoy this record. Coming in fully expecting some new metal-core band, I was surprised with some old school style hardcore. This reminds me of being in high school and fucking ripping up the ole' skate spots years ago. This shit is just fun hardcore. Boasting some ex bands you wouldn't picture to play this music (Against All Authority and … Read more
