Tag: review
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Revolution: Underground Sounds of 1968
Various Artists – 3CD boxed set 1968 was a milestone year, both musically and socially (as evidenced by an excellent documentary series that recently aired on the History Channel). We very much live today in a world that is shaped by the events of 1968, such as the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther…
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Royal Trux – White Stuff (vinyl LP)
Listening to White Stuff – Royal Trux‘ first album of new material since 2000’s Pound For Pound – I simply could not stop thinking about and drawing comparisons between it and Danny Boyle’s film T2 Trainspotting. In the film, all of the characters who survived the events which played out in Trainspotting had found life after…
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Kings Destroy – Fantasma Nera
Kings Destroy has always offered an original take on melodic doom that can’t easily be pigeonholed – for instance, while their NYHC roots might have some influence on their chugging guitar riffs, they don’t sound anything remotely like sludge metal. Fantasma Nera, their fourth album, sees the band move at times away from “doom,” displaying…
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Rancid – st (7″ EP)
At this stage of their career, it’s almost impossible to envision Rancid as anything other than the four-piece ska/punk powerhouse which has been responsible for songs like “Roots Radicals,” “Ruby Soho,” “Bloodclot,” “Fall Back Down” and “Last One To Die”; they are that punk-identified pop institution. At this point in their career, the band is…
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WOORMS – Slake
This heavy trio hails from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, so suffice to say, they play low ‘n slow. But if you were expecting another Eyehategod or Crowbar clone, you might be mistaken. WOORMS offers up some shades of good ‘ol NOLA sludge, but it’s mixed in with noise rock and post-metal, with the end result having…
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Supermansion – Solar Order
First heard about this Southern Ontario supergroup (of sorts) back in ’07, when they released their first, self-titled Supermansion album. They put out a second record five years later, unbeknownst to me, and now they’ve got five albums under their belt, with Solar Order being the latest, independent release. Not sure if this one is…
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Gypsy Chief Goliath – Masters of Space and Time
Album number four from this long-running Southern Ontario heavy rock outfit sees Gypsy Chief Goliath take a slightly spacier approach. This sextet’s latest lineup includes three guitars as well as keyboards… just don’t call ‘em Hawkwind or anything. Masters… begins with “City of Ghosts,” and its melodic, bluesy, keyboard-accented riff that brings the likes of…
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Chainbreaker – Lethal Desire
It is a rarity for me to find a modern speed metal group that manages to peak my interest for more than a listen or two. While stuck on a train, I decided to kick back, pay too much for a beer and give Chainbreaker a listen. A few seconds into the album’s opening track…
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Shining – Animal
The dilemma most bands face is whether to progress or not. AC/DC have made a very successful career out of sticking to the same formula; so too have Slayer. Conversely, bands like Rush, Voivod and Mastodon have followed the path of constant change and innovation, and done well as a result. Shining have chosen, on…
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‘The Duke of Monmouth: Life and Rebellion’ by Laura Brennan
The Restoration is one of my favourite periods of history and the Duke of Monmouth is a significant character of this time. In 1660, Charles II, son of the murdered Charles I, was restored to the English throne following the death of Cromwell. The Duke of Monmouth was the illegitimate son of Charles II (the first…