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▼ National Reviews
Review: Empire Before All – Destruction
Their style harkens back to the golden days of metalcore, albeit a little more on the thick end, grabbing influence from the generation bands like Emmure and The Dead Lay Waiting. The melody, the rage, the swampy breakdown, and the smart licks all add up to an addictive listen. … read more
Review: The Copy Scams – Copy & Destroy
I would have really liked this band when I was a shoplifting, dumpster-diving 19-year-old. Alex Wrekk, author of Stolen Sharpie Revolution and the Brainscan zine, fronts this novelty band that plays lo-fi pop punk songs about zines—a must-listen if you like DIY punk shit. … read more
Review: East India Youth – Total Strife Forever
In between up-tempo, heavily synthesized electronic piano melodies, the debut album from this English producer tells a musical story⎯as should any good album. Songs like “Dripping Down” and “Looking for Someone” provide a break from the otherwise relaxing and saddening feel to the album. … read more
Review: Lanterns on the Lake – Until the Colours Run
Combining slow, angsty melodies topped with breathy, echoed vocals, laced with political undertones allows LOTL to express that beauty can be found in even the most dire of situations. Self-proclaimed “pastoral pop” artists, LOTL create just what they claim to be: textbook pastorals mixed with instrumentation that assists the listener in becoming fully lost in the experience. … read more
Review: Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe
Cupid Deluxe encapsulates the finest that pop has to offer from the ’80s to now. Sexy pop stars from Prince to Michael Jackson infiltrate Hyne’s stylings while he manages to sound less pretentious and just as mysterious due to his lyrics, which revolve around heartbreak and bitterness. … read more
Review: Helms Alee – Sleepwalking Sailors
Sleepwalking Sailors is fun, melodic and disjointed post-rock that gathers many influences without committing to any of them. There are constant shifts from moments that are heavier and metal-adjacent, to discordant, sludgy aggression, to traditionally comfortable melodic lines. … read more
Review: Hammock – Oblivion Hymns
I wouldn’t be surprised if “I Could Hear the Water at the Edge of All Things” was spawned by conversations with God or some spiritual essence. If you’re looking for a sacred experience, this is where you can find one, and these hymns are best listened to with reverence to feel uplifted. … read more
Review: Dam-Funk & Snoopzilla – 7 Days Of Funk
Snoop does his best to channel Funk legend Bootsy Collins, aka Bootzilla, but he’s a better rapper than crooner—unlike Dam, who brings a funk prowess when he vocalizes, which doesn’t happen enough on the album. I certainly dig 7 Days Of Funk, but it’s more of a novelty record than a classic. … read more
Review: Culted – Oblique to All Paths
Oblique to All Paths sounds like a musical rendition of a passive-aggressive argument at band practice. Embarrassingly self-indulgent and lacking any kind of major, defining characteristic, Culted end up writing the doom metal equivalent of cold oatmeal. … read more
Review: Have A Nice Life – The Unnatural World
I’ve never been in a deprivation chamber before, but The Unnatural World renders an audial consciousness for me similar to how I imagine that complete darkness—except for Have A Nice Life flash wet, silver lights of sound. … read more