Category: Reviews

  • Kinski – 7 (Or 8)

    Kinski – 7 (Or 8)

    Without intending to sound condescending, things are really starting to get interesting for Kinski now – on their seventh full-length album. For the sake of context, Kinski willfully challenged themselves a couple of years ago when the (long thought to be) instrumental band released Cosy Moments, an album which defied convention because it featured lyric sheets…

  • Gateway Drugs – Magick Spells

    Gateway Drugs – Magick Spells

    It’s hard to believe how long punk has been a musical idiom. For the sake of argument (because it’s hard to get many people to agree on when punk rock became recognized as a musical form), let’s say it started in 1969; that’s when MC5 released Kick Out The Jams. That’s a time period of…

  • DTRASH + Schizoid & Melt Banana in Toronto, 17 May 2015

    DTRASH + Schizoid & Melt Banana in Toronto, 17 May 2015

    In these days of digital music production and distribution my snail mailbox sees a lot less action than my email inbox. In some ways it’s a relief (I ran out of shelf space for my CD collection years ago). But that fact also makes it all the more special when something more tangible does actually show…

  • Anti-Flag – American Spring LP

    Anti-Flag – American Spring LP

    It might sound a little silly to say, but the first great thing about the vinyl pressing of Anti-Flag‘s ninth studio album, American Spring, is the scale of the presentation. Before a note is heard, those who buy the vinyl will get an eyeful of the bright and beautiful album cover which looks like an…

  • TENGGER CAVALRY – Blood Sacrifice Shaman

    TENGGER CAVALRY – Blood Sacrifice Shaman

    Incredibly energetic, fast paced gallops through ancient plains, accompanied by bands of singers and fiddlers? Not your average day trip in the metal world. I’ve seen quite a few people auto-cringe at the mere mention of the words “folk” and “metal” together these days, which means the proverbial bar for this genre is pretty high…

  • Reducers SF – Essentials (4 Colored LP set)

    Reducers SF – Essentials (4 Colored LP set)

    Looking back, it’s pretty incredible how fertile punk’s creative soil was in the Nineties. Sure – everyone knows the mid-Nineties as being the period which broke punk into the mainstream (pop punk) and made bands like Lagwagon, Propagandhi, Green Day, NOFX, Offspring (I’ve written this list out several times before) and innumerable others household names…

  • ANICON – Aphasia [EP]

    ANICON – Aphasia [EP]

    Anicon are OH so atmospheric black metal from New York. I noticed the name as they previously did a split release with a band called Belus which I enjoyed. They have recently released a three-track EP and have an LP on the way as well. You can listen to the EP on their Bandcamp here: Aphasia…

  • Round Eye – s/t LP

    Round Eye – s/t LP

    While the debate over which recorded music format is superior (vinyl, CD and digital download, at least for right now, are the top contenders), no one who has heard it will argue against the fact that Round Eye‘s debut album was designed specifically to be experienced on vinyl. The hints are actually on the CD…

  • Denizen – Troubled Waters

    Denizen – Troubled Waters

    I was a big fan of this French outfit’s second album, Whispering Wild Stories, which came out over four years ago, back in 2011.  Their sound melds the stoner grooves of Fu Manchu with some harsh sludge vocals reminiscent of Eyehategod—and while it sounds like an odd combo at first, it actually works quite nicely. Those…

  • Demon Lung – A Dracula

    Demon Lung – A Dracula

    I’ve always loved the idea behind Demon Lung.  Here you’ve got this Satanic, occult doom metal band… based outta Las Vegas.  Hey, I’ve been to Vegas, and there’s nothing about that city that screams “occult doom metal.”  (Now, if they were a mafia-themed doom band, on the other hand…) That said, if this outfit was…