Pulling Teeth
Martyr Immortal
Deathwish Inc. (2007)
Pulling Teeth have quickly emerged as one of hardcore's most respected groups following their formation a couple years back. With a steady supply of releases coming in their short lifespan - a self-released demo, last year's Vicious Skin, and a split 7" with U.K outfit Frightener earlier this year - they've garnered the attention of just about every individual that … Read more
Pulling Teeth
Paranoid Delusions | Paradise Illusions
Deathwish Inc. (2009)
Pulling Teeth continues to be an extremely active and productive group - touring the world and releasing three full-lengths and several singles since their inception. Paranoid Delusions | Paradise Illusions marks the band's third full-length effort, though I use that term loosely as the length of this recording is a bit on the short end for a "long player" (though … Read more
Pulling Teeth
Vicious Skin
Chainsaw Safety (2006)
Baltimore based Pulling Teeth released an extremely impressive demo and all expectations of what a proper release would be are exceeded on this recording. Vicious Skin is eleven tracks of fast-paced hardcore and crossover goodness served up over the course of fourteen short tumultuous minutes. On Vicious Skin, Pulling Teeth draw heavily from two schools of thought, paying homage to … Read more
Purson
The Circle and the Blue Door
Metal Blade (2013)
Retro-lust is fucking brilliant. For the past years, unbelievable bands have shown their musical endeavors by wedding the psychedelia of the 60s with the heavier rock of the 70s. Artists such as Jex Thoth, The Devil’s Blood and Blood Ceremony are showing the way, to be quickly followed by dreamers of the same utopic principle. Bands such as Jess and … Read more
Puscifer
Conditions of My Parole
Puscifer Entertainment (2011)
You can stop staring at your watch with misplaced optimism; there's still no news from Tool on their fifth album, and A Perfect Circle have reiterated their vow not to work on an album-length project again. So then what exactly, you might ask, is everyone's favourite rock-star-turned-vintner doing, if not fronting one of his established bands? As it turns out, … Read more
Puscifer
Donkey Punch The Night
Puscifer Entertainment (2013)
I first became aware of Maynard James Keenan's solo work through his latest studio album, Conditions of My Parole, which immediately sold me with its incredibly pleasant meanderings through light-rock post-industrial soundscapes (with a fair amount of his trademarked humour mixed in). So, of course, I scooped up his new EP, Donkey Punch the Night, as soon as I saw … Read more
Puscifer
V is for Viagra: The Remixes
Puscifer Entertainment (2008)
Remix album - blah blah - no one buys them - yadda yadda - only useful for DJs - hamana hamana hamana. Now that that's out of the way, we can talk about this Puscifer release. For anyone not in the know, Puscifer is a solo-ish project by Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle fame. To those … Read more
Pusher
Pusher
Auxiliary (2007)
Pusher hails from Louisville and features an impressive cast of ex-members as Steve Sindoni (vocals) comes to the band after handling vocals in Breather Resist and Matt Jaha (drums) comes from his former drumming duties in Black Cross and Coliseum. Unfortunately this release is a posthumous document of a short-lived group that just could not keep it together, but at … Read more
Pussygutt
She Hid Behind Her Veil
20 Buck Spin (2008)
Pussygutt is a two-piece ambient droning doom outfit. Well, not exactly but a more accurate description may be given as Pussygutt is a group that works their magic with two actual members and a revolving cast of collaborators as its two masterminds (Brittany McConnell and Blake Green) see fit. She Hid Behind Her Veil is the third album from the … Read more
Putois
The Problem is not a Problem Anymore
Cerebral Cliff (2008)
A friend asked me the other day if it would be possible to write a record review vein of a musical genre. I mean we all get sick of the formulaic quality these things often take, don't we? For me this means constantly trying new things out. My biggest setback isn't in telling a reader whether I think some thing … Read more
Pygmy Lush
Bitter River
Robotic Empire (2007)
Bitter River is the most bipolar release of 2007, hands down. Members of Pygmy Lush were once in groups such as Pg. 99, City of Caterpillar, Majority Rule, and Hissing Choir just to name a few. Now, they've found themselves writing an album that changes drastically over the course of fourteen songs (two songs were added to the CD release, … Read more
Pygmy Lush
Mount Hope
Lovitt (2008)
The metamorphosis is complete. Where Bitter River combined harsh and acoustic tracks, Mount Hope excludes the 'harsh.' In this way, one can view Pygmy Lush's roots, the seminal Pg. 99 and City of Caterpillar, as the larva, or caterpillar, if you will. Pygmy Lush's first release, Bitter River, then serves as the cocoon transition between musicians' prior work into the … Read more
Pygmy Lush
Old Friends
Lovitt (2011)
Pygmylush have certainly put their time in their scene their ex members list is extensive and well documented. Knowledge of their past endeavors would do little to really prepare one for what you will get upon listening to their music. Know for playing a mix of thrashing punk and hardcore not dissimilar to some of their past bands coupled with … Read more
Pyongyang Metro
Tower of White Tigers
Arsenic (2007)
Pyongyang Metro is a tough band to separate from their other projects. The band shares members with Off With Their Heads, Rivethead, and Banner Pilot - bands with a unifying sound that's hard to dismiss. Tower of White Tigers, their debut release, is a different beast. It is the second release from Arsenic Records who, per their outdated Myspace page, … Read more
Pyramids
A Northern Meadow
Profound Lore (2015)
Back in 2008, Pyramids were setting off with the release of their self-titled debut album. Blending together the different elements of shoe gaze, post-rock, black metal, dark ambient, drone and experimental their first album was nothing less than fascinating. Following the release of the album a variety of artists and bands, including James Plotkin, Colin Marston and Blut Aus Nord, … Read more
Pyramids
Following the Tracks, Forcing Motion Through Phases
Slave Union/Paramnesia (2006)
Listening to this album is like being on a train, a train that you know is going to crash. But even knowing this, you just sit there and wait. Slowly you look out the window and lament all that passes by almost without knowing why. As the music builds up your heart rate increases, the song climaxes, people scream, and … Read more
Pyramids
Pyramids
Hydra Head (2008)
So Pyramids is one of a slew of new bands making their debuts with Hydra Head recently. However, this outfit seems to have either a much lower profile than the label's most recent output or Pyramids completely flew under everyone's radar, and thus allows this self-titled album to be quite the surprise. After hearing their samples available in certain notorious … Read more
Pyramids
Through the Hourglass
Protagonist Music (2007)
Fuck "emo," fuck "screamo." Let's talk about music with intensity and passion. Pyramids' second full-length release, Through the Hourglass, features eight equally brutal and beautiful songs. I was fortunate enough to recently see the band perform at the Lo-Fi Social Club in Baltimore; after their set (prolonged one song by a unanimous call for an "encore"), I couldn't help but … Read more
