Tag: review

  • Soggy – self-titled

    Soggy – self-titled

    My introduction to Soggy came when I saw their frontman get up and jam with The Shrine at Pyscho Las Vegas. The Shrine covered Soggy’s 1981 single “Waiting for the War” a couple years back, so they went online to see if they could find the guy… and the rest is history. I had no…

  • Backwoods Payback – Fire Not Reason

    Backwoods Payback – Fire Not Reason

    I last heard from Backwoods Payback about five years back, when they released their Momantha record on Small Stone, a pretty decent dose of southern-fried heavy rock from a band outta Pennsylvania. In the years since, they’ve switched a few things up, dropping from a four-piece to a trio before releasing this album independently. Most…

  • Red Cain – Red Cain

    Red Cain – Red Cain

    Firstly, let me praise Red Cain for their commitment to music as a physical entity; the CD bears a most amazing cover by Peter Mohrbacher which would put many a major label band to shame. It just cries out to be released on vinyl so all its intricate details can be seen in all their…

  • Metallica – Hardwired… To Self-Destruct

    Metallica – Hardwired… To Self-Destruct

    I must confess that it would be very, very easy to find a bigger fan of Metallica than I am. To be perfectly blunt, I haven’t heard a new album by the band that I’ve liked in twenty-five years – and even that was a reach because I thought the Black Album spent more time…

  • Hornss – Telepath

    Hornss – Telepath

    This heavy trio hails from the Bay Area, and one guy is a dead ringer for a younger, pre-bearded Al Cisneros, but if you’re looking for Dopesmoker Part Deux, look elsewhere—the 11 tracks on Hornss’ second album clock in at a combined 30 minutes. A heavy bass rumble begins “St. Genevieve,” and there are certainly…

  • Fistula – The Shape of Doom to Cumm))))

    Fistula – The Shape of Doom to Cumm))))

    Seems it wasn’t so long ago that I was reviewing Longing for Infection, the last album from Cleveland crusty sludge crew Fistula. After that stellar sludge record came out in July, they’re back again already with another seven-track effort, although this one is almost more of an EP, clocking in just over 25 minutes. Judging…

  • Funeralizer – self-titled

    Funeralizer – self-titled

    Some people say The Sword went to shit after drummer Trivett Wingo took off—and while his departure isn’t entirely to blame for their wimpier direction, it’s safe to say he’s moved on. Wingo’s new outfit, Funeralizer, sounds absolutely nothing like J.D. Cronise and company… so if you’re looking for “How Heavy This Axe, Redux” look…

  • XIXA – Shift and Shadow 12” EP

    XIXA – Shift and Shadow 12” EP

    A deeper look at the grooves pressed into the Shift and Shadow 12” EP by XIXA. XIXA released its debut full-length album earlier this year (discussion of that release will be coming in the very, very near future) but, now that it’s out and it has had the chance to really establish itself with the…

  • Tiebreaker – Death Tunes

    Tiebreaker – Death Tunes

    Now, we know that Norway is known almost as much for black metal as it is for cross-country skiing, but when it comes to stoner rock, most of the action is happening across the pond in Sweden. Hell, even when we hear of a Norwegian heavy-rock outfit, there’s always at least one black-metal dude in…

  • Kicker – Rendered Obsolete LP

    Kicker – Rendered Obsolete LP

    Since punk rock got started and really began to develop some momentum many years ago, there has been no shortage of upstarts who have come along certain that those who came before them didn’t know jack and threw out the existing rule book which was governing the genre in order to start fresh. That fact…