Tag: punk
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Foghound – Awaken to Destroy
The third album from Maryland heavy rockers Foghound comes out under a cloud of tragedy, less than a year after their bass player, Rev. Jim Forrester, was senselessly murdered on the streets of Baltimore. In that light, one might look for some lyrical tributes on here – say, “Death Will Tremble” or “Gone Up in…
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Hamell On Trial – The Night Guy at The Apocalypse, Profiles of Rushing Midnight (LP)
In the spirit of full disclosure, yes – am a fan of Hamell On Trial. I was totally won over by Ed Hamell when the singer’s eighth album, Tough Love, came out in 2003 and have excitedly checked and given consistently positive coverage to each album that has come along since then. I can say truthfully…
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Zero Down – Larger Than Death
Minotauro Records are synonymous with quality. I have yet to listen to a release from that esteemed label and not be impressed. But even by their high standards Zero Down are truly excellent. Their songs are really catchy and strong, think classic Priest or Maiden. The production is first class and all the band members are outstanding…
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Black Tusk – TCBT
A bit of a new look for Black Tusk on this one, as this Georgia trio puts out its first new record since replacing the late Johnathan Athon with ex-Kylesa bassist Corey Barhorst. But while the lead singer might have changed, the song largely remains the same—despite some slight variations, their brand of thrashy, sludgy…
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NEEDS – Limitations (LP)
The funny thing about punk and hardcore bands has always seemed to be that, no matter how caustic they may have sounded when listeners first began paying attention, the desire to get louder/harder/more aggressive as soon as MORE people begin listening to them is nearly immediate. A perfect example of this tradition can be found…
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Booze & Glory – London Skinhead Crew (12″ die-cut single)
Rare is the single which features the better of two tracks on its B-side, but such is undeniably the case when it comes to Booze & Glory‘s “London Skinhead Crew” 12-inch single. This time out, the London-based punk band unlaces its collective boots a bit and presents a reggae-infused impression of their excellent call-to-arms anthem, “London…
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Old Firm Casuals – s/t EP (12” picture disc reissue)
By the time Lars Frederiksen unveiled Old Firm Casuals in 2010, the singer/guitarist was already very well exposed in the punk rock community. He had already cut his teeth with U.K. Subs in 1991, gained pop (and pop-punk) stardom with Rancid beginning in 1993 and “gone solo” with The Bastards in addition to taking a…
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Gang Of Youths – Go Farther In Lightness (2LP)
For the nearly half-century since the genre’s inception now, one of the few steadfast foundations upon which punk rock has stood has been nihilism. Consistently, the spirit of punk has been one of “Fuck it all – strip the music down to the barest essentials and get emotionally dark and bleak – at least that…
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Ford Madox Ford – This American Blues LP
Remember a couple of decades ago when, against some fairly long odds, The Blasters managed to cross-wire punk rock and Americana/roots music? The results were pretty cool – the group actually did manage to break onto the popular radar for a minute (with some help from Quentin Tarantino and the soundtrack from From Dusk Til…
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Hashteroid – self-titled
I gotta hand it to this Vancouver outfit—as far as stoner band name puns go, Hashteroid is a pretty good one. But if you’re looking for Weedeater and Bongzilla worship from this trio’s debut, you might be mistaken. These guys take a faster-paced, punkier approach to stoner rock, more along the lines of The Shrine,…