Another Kind of Death
Sleepless Every Night
Underhill (2007)
Anyone that knows anything about gun safety knows that no one ever stuffs a loaded gun down the front of their pants. That's just a good way to blow your wiener off. Sure you may see movie or any random gangster rap video where some dillrod shoves a .357 down their drawers. What they don't show you is that in … Read more
Anthony Raneri
New Cathedrals EP
Gumshoe (2012)
While he’s best known as the front man for Long Island pop-punk juggernauts Bayside, Anthony Raneri has been making a name for himself as a solo artist for some time. Participating in the inaugural Where’s The Band tour a few years back, Raneri charmed crowds with acoustic renditions of Bayside songs and select covers of Death Cab For Cutie, Bad … Read more
Anthrax
Worship Music
Megaforce (2011)
The story of how Worship Music came to be is longish and a bit complicated—dating back to 2009 in what was essentially a three-way dance for the vocalist spot. Some of the original material was adjusted accordingly or, in most cases, scrapped all together and rewritten, resulting in what is ultimately the best case scenario for long-time Anthrax fans: the … 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
Anti-Flag
The People or The Gun
Side One Dummy (2009)
It takes a lot for me to completely lose faith in some of my favorite bands, and I came pretty close to completely giving up on Anti-Flag after the disaster that was The Bright Lights of America. My faith was then restored a bit after hearing that they left RCA Records and joined the ever growing roster at Side One … Read more
Antibalas
Security
Anti (2007)
The Anti label is willing to produce the type of DIY artists who are obviously more concerned with what their music is doing for them as opposed to what it may do for whoever is listening. It's this type of balls out approach that brings us Brooklyn's Antibalas: a reggae-infused, ska-inspired, band playing funk-derived afrobeats. If that description seems longwinded, … Read more
Antinode
The Canary That Named The Stars
Independent (2021)
I’m always up and ready for some good prog, especially when we’re looking at a concept piece. I’m tempted to say something along the lines of ‘they don’t make’em like they used to’, but we’re talking about music, not audiophile grade consumer electronics so that doesn’t ring true. It’s just that these days you have to dig further and deeper … Read more
Antioch Arrow
Gems of Masochism
Three One G (2003)
Weird, artsy, dark hardcore was nothing new to San Diego in 1994 when Antioch Arrow released their seminal masterwork, Gems of Masochism. The presses had been putting out consistently darker and stranger albums each passing year, mostly thanks to upstarts Gravity Records. Gravity had bands that were few and far between, but things were on the upswing, as Angel Hair's … Read more
Antlers
Antlers
Rorschach (2007)
While taking a risk at such a lofty statement, Antlers is the reason to keep listening to independent music. Not that the band are the saviors of sound, but the ideas around what the band is doing are what makes this scene so worthwhile. Take a group of people, all from accomplished bands, and put them together to form a … Read more
Anton Ponomarev / Guillaume Cazelet
Pyrocene
Utech (2023)
Another one for Guillaume Cazelet, the prolific artist from avant-garde icons Neptunian Maximalism and his solo black metal project Ôros Kaù. This time around Cazelet collaborates with Anton Ponomarev, a fellow maniac from free improvisational fiends P/O Massacre. With their new work, Pyrocene, the duo lets go completely of any form or notion and drives straight into the abstract domain … Read more
Antonymes
The Licence To Interperet Dreams
Hidden Shoal (2011)
Antonymes is one Ian M. Hazeldine. The North Welsh based artist has in the last two years released more than a couple works of almost ambient music. I say almost since it has some characteristics of the ambient genre it also bases much of its work in the classical realm as well. The pieces have been everything from short singular … Read more
Aosoth
IV: An Arrow In Heart
Agonia (2013)
Aosoth is another example of how great the current black metal scene in France actually is. With their latest full length, they definitely claim their place next to great bands like Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord. Formed by members of black metal titans Antaeus you get an idea of the quality of the music here.The cold, eerie atmosphere kicks … Read more
Aphex Twin
Syro
Warp (2014)
Sometime around the mid-2000’s, I began to realize just how much I missed having new music by Richard D. James, who typically records under the name of Aphex Twin. I’d been spoiled in the 1990’s: starting off the decade with a pair of outstanding and other-wordly ambient releases (the positively sublime Selected Ambient Works discs), James continued to regularly produce … Read more
Apocynthion
Sidereus Nuncius
Pest Productions (2013)
Well, when it came time to pick the newest fad in metal music, I certainly wasn't expecting post-black metal* to become a genre. And yet, so many bands have been affected by Alcest's sublime, beautiful interpretation of black metal and post-rock that it's really not too surprising to see others taking the genre in a new direction. Cue the debut … Read more
Arcadea
Arcadea
Relapse (2017)
Remember that movie from the 80's where that little rocker kid got sucked into the video game and found himself on that desert planet, where he had to throw jewels into a volcano while battling flying lions that had lasers shooting out of their eyes?No?That's probably because that movie was never made. But if it had been, Arcadea would be … Read more
Architect
All is not Lost
Black Market Activities (2007)
As I mentioned in the Gaza review I wrote, I was eagerly anticipating Architect's first release All is not Lost. While Black Market Activities had generally put out stuff outside of my niche, I knew who they were, and their recent releases have really catapulted them to the forefront of my attention. What grabs my attention about these releases is … Read more
Architecture in Helsinki
Fingers Crossed
Bar/None (2004)
Architecture in Helsinki are not your everyday indie-pop group. Sure, they are compared to Belle and Sebastian a lot, but these comparisons aren't very good. Sure, both bands boast a high number of members from varying genders. But where these two bands differ is that Belle and Sebastian just aren't good and Architecture in Helsinki, well, they just are. Hailing … Read more
Architecture in Helsinki
In Case We Die
Bar/None (2005)
Prog-pop: the new dancepunk/freakfolk/fleeting indie scene trend? Unlikely, but I suppose possible if enough bands found themselves with exceptional amounts of time and instruments on their hands. Blueberry Boat, The Fiery Furnaces' prog-pop behemoth, made quite a splash in '04, much to the unfiltered joy of some, myself included, and disgusted chagrin of others - probably including you. The Australian … Read more
