Music
SLUG Magazine’s collection of reviews covering the latest and greatest of Utah-based music, covering all varieties of genre, style and type.
Local Reviews: Taught Me
This album seems violent in the same way that a rose’s edge in bloom pushing out into the world does�it’s forceful to an extent, but you really have to pay attention to understand why. … read more
Local Reviews: Stolen Marches
Ex-Endless Struggler Bobby and the boys bring eight heaping plates of punk rock snot and loveliness to the table that street punks, oi boys and rockers can all feast on together. … read more
Local Reviews: Will Sartain
Will Sartain’s solo material has trappings of Redd Tape; as RT’s main songwriter, that’s to be expected. But Will seems to strip away some of the cutesy quirkiness that Redd Tape possesses in this album and his previous one and replaces it with about the same amount of pain and offbeat discordance, but painted with much more seriousness. … read more
Local Reviews: Rotten Musicians
Here we have another sophisticated hip-hop album straight from the heart of the SLC made up of Mike Danner, Shanty, Scarecrow and Madman. “Fantasy Impromptu 89” is probably my favorite track, but the disco-ish, R&B “Rotten Musicians Go to the Movies” is also a charmer. But then again, “So What Comes After Postmodern” is really catchy and powerful too, with its strobing guitar beat and buzzy synth samples. … read more
Local Reviews: Paper Cranes
Insanity lo-fi noise guitar/synth dancebeats are piled under paroxysmal thrashpunk powerviolence/Curtis Jensen-ish screams and yelps and indecipherable mutterings, and occasionally replaced by nearly-epic keyboard dirges that deteriorate as they form to make the five songs (all named after dinosaurs�Allosaurus, Dimetrodon, etc) that comprise this EP. … read more
Local Reviews: Cave of Roses
The oddly named Cave of Roses, one of the Utah metal scene’s best-kept secrets, is finally unleashed upon us with this, Redemption, their first demo. Only a three-piece, these guys have more technicality and aggression inside them than lots of other bands combined! … read more
Local Reviews: Form of Rocket
In the three years since their last release, Form of Rocket have improved every aspect of their music. The drumming, bass, guitars, vocals, lyrics and production all make your jaw drop. Just put on the first track, “This is Occupation,” and you’ll get an immediate idea of what I’m talking about. The songs are more uniform while remaining complex; technical without becoming too cluttered. … read more
Local Reviews: Visitors
Immediately reminding me of one of my favorites, the astounding O’Brother, I fell in love with Nova right off the bat. It’s moody and atmospheric, driving and aggressive when it engages, and I’m pretty sure I’m slowly falling in love with Ian Cooperstein’s dynamic voice, soaring in and out between the guitars. … read more
Local Reviews: Winterlore
In the current climate of black metal, where those who sound more like tribute bands than original artists are rampant, sounding fresh is a task few new bands rarely achieve. Winterlore have made an album that provides a bountiful pillaging of excitement.
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Local Reviews: Schrei Aus Stein
This two-track EP from Schrei Aus Stein offers up some morsels of music as a precursor to the band’s upcoming third full-length, Cervin, coming soon from this one-man project, on Crucial Blast Records. With a limited release on cassette, grab this while it’s hot.
… read more