Issues: Issue 295 - July 2013
Review: True Widow – Circumambulation
Compared to As High As the Highest Heavens and from the Center of the Circumference of the Earth, Circumambulation proceeds with sparser guitar and deliberate bass, beginning the slow burner as such with “Creeper.” … read more
Review: The Brains – The Monster Within
Psychobilly has an inherent problem in that the genre is a formula. Punk mixed with rockabilly decorated with horror imagery. Now by the time most bands have achieved those three elements they don’t seem to look beyond them, and that’s where the genre has become stagnant. Very few bands have been able to break the mold like The Brains. These Canadian psychos play at break neck speeds, but in some unholy way are still able to keep their songs highly melodic. … read more
Review: The Hussy – Way With Words
The same rushed, distorted drumbeat for the EP’s short entirety might be too much without the simple and upbeat melodies played on a cheap-sounding keyboard or Catatonic Youth–style echoed noises—laser beams maybe? … read more
Review: The Besnard Lakes – Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO
This album would pair best with a morphine drip. This shoegaze sonata is lush and minimalistic all at once. The chorus for “The Specter” sounds like it came straight from from Veckatimest. … read more
Review: The Black Angels – Indigo Meadow
I don’t really understand Salt Lake City’s love for The Black Angels. Phosphene Dream was decent at best and people here were going nuts for it. With Indigo Meadow we see The Black Angels moving away from Psych-rock and toward garage rock. … read more
Review: Terror – Live by the Code
Besides the unfortunate misstep of “You’re Caught” (ugh) Terror’s flown the flag of dependability in hardcore’s ho-hum parade (cynics may call it “predicatable”), and though the band has endured lineup and style changes a-plenty in this new Keepers of the Faith era, the band continues to keep it fresh, exciting and, to many, life-affirming. … read more
Review: Teen – Carolina EP
This five-song EP is just as impressive as TEEN’s sophomore full-length, In Limbo, from last year. The Brooklyn girls have strayed from their Shangri-Las-meets-psych vibe and have moved into a more diverse, rock-oriented direction. … read more
Review: Skid Row – United World Rebellion: Chapter One
Simpleton historians cling to the idea that “hair metal” met its final death-blow the second “Teen Spirit” debuted on MTV, but they’d really only be half right. … read more
Review: Sleeping In Gethsemane – When The Landscape Is Quiet...
I don’t like posthumous releases, mostly because they tend to break my heart. … read more
Review: Spectrals – Sob Story
The sophomore album from U.K. band Spectrals is a step up from their 2011 debut record, Bad Penny, as their sound seems more confident and polished. … read more