La Fraction returns after years of absence! If you responded with the same: “huh?” I ushered when I learned this, there is not much to be ashamed about. I had never heard of this band before. However, after listening to De L’Autre Côté I am a bit sad I did not hear of this band earlier. Better late than never, … Read more
For whatever reason, the Italian La Quiete is supremely underrated. They've been putting out releases since 2001 and for whatever reason dudes and dudettes alike are sleeping on them. Well, now's your time to wake up, because their newest release, Tenpeun '01-'05 is a discography of sorts that includes their OOP (out of print) material. Included are their song(s) from … Read more
I thought rock was a dead scene. The radio repeatedly fed me the term since my early teens, pushing different versions of the same band on the airways. Everything sounded like a watered down rendition of some seventies ideal I never cared about. Nothing I'd ever heard described as rock had any heart, let alone any balls. Ladyfinger (ne) are … Read more
First off, I have to say, "wow." This is really on Saddle Creek? That is totally unexpected. Being unfamiliar with what Ladyfinger (ne) is capable of musically, I am totally surprised. Heavy Hands is the debut album from these guys. It is a more than interesting offering by the description that I have been given for them. Most people have … Read more
I truly don't know what to make of this band. Some reviewers might like to scope out the band before claiming the promo (Yes, that's how it works. Sorry to pull back the curtain kids.) But others, like myself, tend to claim a CD with only a rudimentary understanding of what they sound like - usually according to their PR … Read more
Punk rock veterans, Lagwagon, had been missing from the scene for quite some time. Sure, they had a tour here and there as well as reissues of their 90s classics, but it's been years since we've heard some fresh new music from the band. They released an EP in 2008, but most of that material had previously already been featured … Read more
Closing in on twenty years as a band, Lagwagon presents us with new songs, perhaps aiming to revive that nearly defunct Fat/Epitaph sound. Having grown up on this band, I was giddy to hear they were releasing new material for the first time since 2005's Resolve, but found myself bummed after learning it was only an eight-song EP. Couple this … Read more
The Northwest is breathing new life into its hardcore scene. They've got a lot of great bands right now - Go it Alone, Shook Ones, The Answer, Sinking Ships, Betrayed, Daggermouth, and so on. And while those bands lean towards the traditional side of hardcore, there are others that aim for something a bit more metal. Seattle's Lahar deliver just … Read more
In 2004 we were treated to Carnage, the debut effort from this throwback thrash/metal outfit from Chicago. If you heard it, good. If not, well, let's just say that the band is highly influenced by the likes of Celtic Frost. Fake metal fans should be sure to Google that name before continuing. Here in 2005 we are awaiting the band's … Read more
It will take roughly 20-30 seconds of Carnage for you to come to the conclusion that it's no surprise that Lair of the Minotaur's debut ended up on Southern Lord Records. Oddly enough, this is actually a re-released effort, a vinyl version of the album that featured only six tracks. So it's quite a treat to have this version for … Read more
Lair of the Minotaur is a band that managed to get their sound right and have stick with it since they first formed. With their doom/sludge/thrash hybrid they have managed to release four great albums: Carnage, The Ultimate Destroyer, my personal favorite War Metal Battle Master and their latest full length Evil Power. And now they are back with their … Read more
It is now five years into Lair of the Minotaur's existence and I think its safe to say that this band is not a gimmick or a novelty act in the least. Sure, their lyrics are based on Greek mythology and their sound harkens back to the 1980's, but Lair of the Minotaur is the real deal. This three-piece is … Read more
Lake Of Blood hail from southern California, yet are producing the kind of metal you'd more than likely associate with a scene much further north than that; Cascadian black metal is a genre full of atmosphere, full of passion for nature and the preservation of the world we live in. Full of aggression. And Lake Of Blood have taken all … Read more
Lamb of God and I go back a long way. Their second album, As the Palaces Burn, was the album that really got me into them. Actually, it was the album that got me into metal in general. It is one of the select few albums from the so-called "New Wave of American Metal" that has stood the test of … Read more
Virginia metalheads Lamb of God have been a very inconsistent band as of late. They struck gold six years ago with their sophomore effort, As the Palaces Burn but they seemed to have stumbled a bit with their past two records. Their latest offering, Wrath has been hyped by the band as a "rawer and real sounding" record and that … Read more
I ramble, at length, about basically everything. Word limits fear me. My friends dnf my texts. I think I may have single handedly crashed Twitter. Straight to the point, I am not. However, in the spirit of things, I’m going to dive right in. Who Let The Dogs Out is Lambrini Girls’ first full length album. 11 tracks, 29 minutes, … Read more
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cake, Iron & Wine, Meat Puppets, Blind Melon, Peaches, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lemon Demon and The Sugarcubes. While stylistically these bands are essentially alien to one another they do have one unifying quality. Bands named after food and drink have a long lineage. As a side note, I have a major beef with online lists of … Read more
I'll openly admit to the fact that the vast majority of my music preferences fall to the heavy side of the medium. However, there are times in my life when I just want to get away from all of that and chill out to something that is non-threatening and created for relaxing. Love Versus Dirt, the first full-length from the … Read more
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