Resistant Culture – All One Struggle
A solid grindcore album with strong production and really high-quality packaging. Rating: Resistant Culture – All One Struggle LP Seventh Generation Records/Patac Records Resistant Culture has been around for quite a few years in one form or another and this is their second full-length album from what I can tell, and their first on the [...]
Junius – Self-titled LP
Thick, dense and melodic indie rock with song structures that are simply stunning and hypnotic. There should be one of these on every turntable in the world! Rating: Junius – Self-titled 2LP The Mylene Sheath Last year when I received Junius’ The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist I was hugely impressed with it, was amazed that [...]
Stimulators – Loud Fast Rules!
A great document of this old New York punk band’s only full-length recording. Mandatory early punk rock. Rating: Stimulators – Loud Fast Rules! CD ROIR The Stimulators were an early punk rock back from New York City who became most know for their having a young Harley Flanagan of Cro-Mags fame as their drummer when [...]
Neurosis – Live at Roadburn 2007
Neurosis – Live at Roadburn 2007 CD Neurot Recordings Neurosis celebrated their 25th anniversary as a band this year meaning they have outlived most bands who started around the same time as them, not to mention they’ve outlived most bands in general. Unlike most bands whose best work was their first couple of records, Neurosis’ [...]
Darryl Jenifer – In Search of Black Judas
A really diverse and mostly instrumental album from the Bad Brains’ bassist proving what a talented and varied musician he really is. Rating: Darryl Jenifer – In Search of Black Judas CD ROIR The Bad Brains are without question one of the best and most influential bands of all time, not just in punk rock [...]
Winterfylleth – The Mercian Sphere
Long, complex black metal with actual melodic parts and harmony mixed in. Wonderfully fresh seasonings on a solid black metal foundation. Rating: Winterfylleth – The Mercian Sphere Candlelight Records Winterfylleth in Old English means “winter full moon” which I particularly hate due to my hatred of snow and cold weather. Thankfully the hatred doesn’t extend [...]
Bad Religion – The Dissent of Man
Proof that you do indeed need a 15th Bad Religion album in your collection. Rating: Bad Religion – The Dissent of Man Epitaph Records It’s pretty amazing to think that Bad Religion has turned 30 years old and this is their 15th full-length studio album. The band has nearly unrivaled staying power. They also still [...]
The Secret – Solve et Coagula
Metallic grindcore from Italy that is short, fast, and punishing. A couple of slower numbers show promise of experimentation. Rating: The Secret – Solve et Coagula Southern Lord Recordings The Secret is a band from Italy who have been around for about seven years now and this is their third full-length, and first for an [...]
Krieg – The Isolationist
An excellent album of black metal that isn’t afraid to get experimental, resulting in a very interesting collection of songs that really shine. Rating: Krieg – The Isolationist Candlelight Records Krieg is a black metal band that has been around since the mid 1990s and this is the band’s sixth full-length album. The Isolationist features [...]
Explode and Make Up 12″ EP
A really strong debut EP of melodic hardcore that has an old-school feel to it and great loud guitars. Rating: Explode and Make Up – Self-titled 12″ EP Underground Communique Records Explode and Make Up is a relatively newer band from Chicago, IL. They have been around about four years now but this is their [...]
Righteous Fool – 7″
A strong debut effort from two members of COC and one from HR’s band who deliver a two-song single of strong metallic rock. Rating: Righteous Fool – 7″ Southern Lord Righteous Fool is a new band featuring Mike Dean and Reed Mullin from Corrosion of Conformity along with Jason Browning who played with HR. This [...]
Earth – A Bureaucratic Desire for Extra Capsular Extraction
A great collection of Earth’s first recording session from 1990. Experimental doom/grunge/drone metal that sounds fresh even by today’s standards. Rating: Earth – A Bureaucratic Desire for Extra Capsular Extraction Southern Lord Before Earth became the masters of drone, they spent the beginning of their career with a different lineup (guitarist/founder Dylan Carlson has been [...]
Sons of Tonatiuh – Self Titled
Doom/crust blend that is a strong debut effort, and another example of GA being a hotbed for heavy music. Rating: Sons of Tonatiuh – Self Titled Hydrophonic Records Sons of Tonatiuh (pronounced “Tahn-a-tee-ah”) is a relatively new band from Atlanta, having only been around for two years. This is their debut record. This album contains [...]
Corrosion of Conformity – Your Tomorrow
The Animosity lineup returns with a two-song single of modern stoner rock. The best COC record since Technocracy! Rating: Corrosion of Conformity - Your Tomorrow 7″ Southern Lord Corrosion of Conformity started way back in the early 1980s as a hardcore punk band who had one of the coolest logos in the world. Their music [...]
The Desecrators – Speed Up the Death Process
A great unreleased recording by a UK trash band with metal guitars that would have been huge had they lasted long enough to release this 23 years ago! Rating: The Desecrators – Speed Up the Death Process LP Pro-Anti Records The Desecrators was a band from England in the mid 1980s that lasted only a [...]
The Hamburglars 7″
The best gimmick for a garage band since The Mummies. A great garage/surf band with a gimmick that is totally hilarious. Rating: The Hamburglars – 7″ EP www.hamburglars.com Only in the Chicago area could you find a band whose entire gimmick is that they are dressed as the Hamburglar, a defunct MacDonald’s character from the [...]
Year of No Light – Ausserwelt
Year of No Light – Ausserwelt Conspiracy Records It would appear that this is the first new record from Year of No Light in four years. I read they used to have a singer who had left the band before this record was made and as a result, their newest offering is an instrumental record. [...]
Boris with Ian Astbury – BXI EP
Boris with Ian Astbury – BXI Southern Lord Having been a fan of Ian Astbury for years and his all things Cult (Southern Death, Death, and The) and becoming a fairly new fan of Boris, when I found out the two were combining forces to make a record I was pretty excited. I wasn’t just [...]
Wednesday Night Heroes/For the Worse split
Wednesday Night Heroes/For the Worse – Split 7″ Patac Records The Wednesday Night Heroes prove Canada still has it when it comes to hardcore. They play classic-styled hardcore. The music is fast and metal-free. Their singer has a great voice for the genre and despite the speed they have an accessibility to their sound in [...]
Vulture Industries – The Dystopia Journals
Vulture Industries – The Dystopia Journals LP Ragnarok Records Vulture Industries is a gloomy/gothic metal band from Norway that formed in 2002. It took them five years before releasing a full album though, which only now sees a U.S. release on the correct format of vinyl. The Dystopia Journals is quite an epic album, especially [...]
Tutu and the Pirates – Sub-urban Insult Rock for the Anti/lectual
Tutu and the Pirates – Sub-urban Insult Rock for the Anti/lectual LP Factory 25/Regressive Films Tutu and the Pirates have the distinction of being Chicago’s first punk rock band or at least that it how they are acknowledged in the history books. The band played tons of shows and were part of what became the [...]
DA! – Exclamation Point LP
DA! – Exclamation Point LP Factory 25/Regressive Films Despite their inclusion on the classic Busted at Oz compilation, DA! were one of the most overlooked bands from the first wave of the Chicago punk scene. They somewhat quietly released a 7″ and a 12″ EP on Autumn Records and then were never heard from again. [...]
Panther Piss – Consumer Report 7″
Panther Piss – Consumer Report 7″ Fat Sandwich Records Panther Piss are a band from Memphis, TN and I believe this is their first vinyl output. The band plays super loud and heavy punk rock with a hint of lo-fi to their thick sound. The songs are really meaty sounding and aggressive and the singer [...]
Fast Death – EP
Fast Death – 7″ EP Patac Records Boston, MA used to be a hotbed for hardcore punk for a spell back in the early 1980s and a lot of fine bands came from that area. Apparently hardcore is still alive and kicking in the state of MA because now Boston’s latest offering is the band, [...]
