May 23, 2006

Burst Origo [4/5] Sweden’s Burst have suffered from a disproportionate amount of press approval to worldwide recognition: Seriously, just try to find a bad review of these guys in the metal press–and then try to find their two previous albums. But with Origo–a blistering epic, complete with keyboards, acoustic passages and female backing vocals in...

B. Fleischmann The Humbucking Coil [4/5] Cynics may complain electronic music sounds cold, but they’ve obviously never heard German producer B. Fleischmann. The Humbucking Coil is his return to solo work, after releasing Late with Herbert Weixelbaum as Duo 505. It’s also the follow up to 2003’s epic double disc Welcome Tourist, which means this...

Himsa Hail Horror [3]Nobody seems to remember if it was Pablo Picasso or Igor Stravinsky who said, “Lesser artists borrow; great artists steal,” but that’s okay, because time has yet to determine on which side of that famous axiom Seattle metalcore marvels Himsa will find themselves. Either way, Hail Horror contains some of the best...

The Lawrence Arms Oh! Calcutta! [4]Some experienced punk bands regularly try for dramatic changes between albums, as if they’re still fishing for a comfortable niche after all those years and releases. However, others, like the Lawrence Arms, have refined their style to a fairly fine science. That doesn’t mean this Chicago trio haven’t bothered sharpening...

Atreyu A Deathgrip On Yesterday [4/5] By 2006 standards, Atreyu’s third album almost isn’t an album at all. At nine songs, 32 minutes and nary an ounce of fat, A Deathgrip On Yesterday is closer to an EP-which, really, is less a statement on this Southern California quintet’s creativity than it is on how CD...

Mogwai Mr. Beast [5/5] Since the 1997 release of their debut album, Young Team, Mogwai have been lucky enough to have fans who’ll let the Scottish band worship their influences (most notably Slint) while praising their uniqueness, even during those periods where the music was as interesting as a gray-painted wall. But Mr. Beast is...

Man Man Six Demon Bag [3/5] More power to those who can do it, but from this perspective, it’s nearly impossible to enjoy Man Man’s Six Demon Bag while sober. Hell, even if you are drunk, you may have trouble embracing the Philadelphia sextet’s fondness for comedy voices (falsettos, über-macho unison vocals, Mike Patton-esque caterwauls,...

Arab Strap The Last Romance [4/5] With singer Aidan Moffet filtering an incendiary opening line (“Burn these sheets that we’ve just fucked in”) through his bitterness-hardened brogue, Arab Strap’s sixth studio album makes a rough first impression. Indeed, the characters in The Last Romance’s lyrics can be cruel, caustic and casually profane, and the rhythms...

Bullet For My Valentine The Poison [4/5] Bullet For My Valentine’s The Poison will probably be the album of the year for all those Avenged Sevenfold fans who felt personally betrayed when M. Shadows stopped screaming and started writing big rock singles. Like Avenged Sevenfold–who open for BFMV in the U.K.–this four-man Welsh metal sensation...