Local Review: Drew Danburry – An Introduction to Sex Rock

Local Review: Drew Danburry – An Introduction to Sex Rock
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Drew Danburry An Introduction to Sex Rock Mother Clucker Drew Danburry = Catcher in the Rye + Parker Sisters   One could swear that Drew Danburry’s been having tea with local musician Paul Compton, swapping synth and cricket tips while demurely brushing crumpet crumbs from his lips. The outstanding An Introduction to Sex Rock, mastered

Local Review: Deadvolt – Self-titled

Local Review: Deadvolt – Self-titled
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Deadvolt Self-titled As Dark As Light Deadvolt = Maynard + (early) Korn   Deadvolt takes early, aggressive Flea bass, Tool moodiness, A Perfect Circle melodicism and just a tiny smudge of nu-metal to paint a canvas with a thick, brilliant whirlpool of midnight blue, royal purple, indigo, ebony and cobalt—i.e., blue, purple and black, like

Local Review: All Systems Fail – Self-titled 7″ vinyl EP

Local Review: All Systems Fail – Self-titled 7″ vinyl EP
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All Systems Fail Self-titled 7″ vinyl EP Loderback Records All Systems Fail = Discharge + Nausea + Chaos UK Remember the good old days of punk, before the intervention of Hot Topic, AFI, Green Day, mall punks and other assorted corporate shit? Then you need to pick up All Systems Fail little vinyl beast! Metalcore? No! Emo?

Review: Stained – Imperanon

Review: Stained – Imperanon
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Stained Imperanon Nuclear Blast Stained is the debut from Finland’s Imperanon. With an average age of 20, and considering this album is their debut, you’d expect to hear metal with training wheels, but that’s not the case—not even close. This is ten tracks of highly-technical music that will make you sit up and listen from

Review: Beyond The Embrace – Insect Song

Review: Beyond The Embrace – Insect Song
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Beyond The Embrace Insect Song Metal Blade It’s so strange to hear rock music anymore. Metal, for the most part, has moved far into the extreme, while rock music has moved far into the corporate, “MTV” world. Beyond the Embrace’s album Insect Song is a rock/metal hybrid, although they are much more metal than they

Review: Into Eternity – Buried In Oblivion

Review: Into Eternity – Buried In Oblivion
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Into Eternity Buried In Oblivion Century Media Canada’s Into Eternity redefine and set new boundaries for progressive metal with their release, Buried In Oblivion. Layered vocals with a European flair are mixed with a very aggressive, almost death approach. The two styles work well together. Musically, this band plays with the same melodic/heavy mix as

Review: Nicki Jane – Of Pigeons and Other Curiosities

Review: Nicki Jane – Of Pigeons and Other Curiosities
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NICKI JANE OF PIGEONS AND OTHER CURIOSITIES Shaman Yes, it is comforting to know that there is still enough space in the world for a little dark cabaret. On Of Pigeons and Other Curiosities, Nicki Jane swings around her guitar or piano with a bitter assurance reminiscent of Nick Cave. Through restraint, she’s more subtle

Review: Rachel Goswell – Waves are Universal

Review: Rachel Goswell – Waves are Universal
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RACHEL GOSWELL WAVES ARE UNIVERSAL 4AD Rachel Goswell: You might not recognize the name, but I’d have a hard time believing that someone who has any interest in my column wouldn’t have heard her voice in either Slowdive or Mojave 3. Her solo debut is as stunning as Neil Halstead’s (also in both previously mentioned

Review: Le Concorde – EP

Review: Le Concorde – EP
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LE CONCORDE EP Space Kitty It is always a pleasant surprise when a CD bears a sticker telling of guest artists featured within and you ultimately realize the band sticker is underselling the talent and potential of the band. Sure, the appearance of the Psychedelic Fur’s guitarist, John Ashton, and their saxophone player, Mars Williams,

Review: Bella Morte – As The Reasons Die

Review: Bella Morte – As The Reasons Die
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BELLA MORTE AS THE REASONS DIE Metropolis If you’re intent on categorizing bands into genres, you might want to ignore Bella Morte’s existence. Caught somewhere between industrial and synthpop with a touch of something gothic, Bella Morte again prove that creativity is a whole lot more interesting than the paint-by-numbers approach by flowing seamlessly between