Category: Reviews
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The Whistles And The Bells – Modern Plagues LP
If we can all agree that many of the best, most interesting albums are those which convey a particular image of its maker, then there’s little doubt of Modern Plagues‘ quality. From the very outset of The Whistles And The Bells‘ sophomore album, listeners are presented with the image of auteur Bryan Simpson toiling gladly…
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Suede Razors – Razor Stomp 12-inch EP
It might sound weird to say, but it’s about time Suede Razors got around to releasing more than just two songs at a time. To date, Bay area bovver band Suede Razors have managed to build a shockingly devoted following on the strength of a succession of seven-inch singles (see “Boys Night Out” and “Here…
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Astrakhan – Without New Growth Process is Bloodshed
When I finally sat down to get down to the business of writing this review I put each song on repeat separately for a number of spins while making notes on each one. That is the wrong way to listen to Without New Growth Process is Bloodshed. Astrakhan‘s latest (and last… I’ll get to that)…
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Hooded Menace – Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed
Death doom can often be hit or miss for me, but I was a big fan of Hooded Menace’s last album, Darkness Drips Forth, which seemed to be a little light on the “death”—except in the vocal department. I’d be perfectly happy if they followed a similar path on this one. An ossuarium is a…
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Sass Jordan – Racine Revisited
Twenty-five years ago, Sass Jordan made her first big breakthrough onto Canadian radio airwaves with her sophomore album Racine. It was very much a “right place, right time” kind of moment – with bands like the Black Crowes and singers like Melissa Etheridge holding a whole lot of time and space on playlists around the…
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Jen Gloeckner – Vine LP
Anyone who has ever gone to therapy knows that it can take years to accurately qualify, articulate and compartmentalize feelings like anger, resentment, isolation, love, affection, confusion and emotional unease and then begin to deal with them in a healthy manner. It’s all a process and, in that regard, Jen Gloeckner has arrived miles ahead…
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Coffin Torture – Dismal Planet
This South Carolina sludge duo only had three indie EPs and a couple live-off-the-floor albums to their credit, but The Sludgelord liked them so much, they started a label just so they could sign ‘em. So that’s gotta count for something. Dismal Planet offers up seven tracks, most around the seven-minute range, on their full-length…
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Walrus – Family Hangover LP
When one considers the debut LP from Walrus, Family Hangover, the first stumbling block which comes up is where the music came from. As one listens, it quickly becomes easy to pick out little bits of ideas which were obviously originally the work of artists who initially inspired the band and, because those stylistic breadcrumbs…
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Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard / Slomatics – Totem
You gotta love Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard. It’s like someone fired up a Random Doom Metal Name Generator, gave it a few spins, then picked their two favourites. What’s also cool about this band is that they sing in Welsh, although one of the titles of their two contributions to this split LP with UK…
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Apostle of Solitude – From Gold to Ash
I rarely, if ever, have been disappointed by Apostle of Solitude. The veteran Indiana doomsters have been at it for more than decade now, and their last three full-lengths have all found favour in my books. (“December Drives Me to Tears” is one of my all-time favourite doom tunes.) These guys tend to be gloomier…