August 6, 2009

Darkane Demonic Art [3/5] Demonic Art marks the debut of new vocalist Jens Broman, but Darkane haven’t changed their style much since bringing him on board. The band’s combination of melody and crunch, plus synth-strings and epically wheedly-deedly guitar solos is as awesome as ever, and the high-speed Swedish death-metal sprints keep the listener’s...

Chimaira The Infection [3.5/5] Chimaira made only one album as industrial-tinged nü-metalers before adopting their present metalcore/death-metal style, but like nude photos on the internet, a weak debut remains an inescapable albatross. Still, these cranky Clevelanders have gotten sincerely heavy and brutal on their three successive releases, and The Infection is a very solid...

Agoraphobic Nosebleed Agorapocalypse [3/5] In the past, Agoraphobic Nosebleed would cram at least 10 tracks into a 53-second timespan. On Agorapocalypse, which supplements the group’s crusty grind with old-school hardcore/thrash crossover riffs and chunky low-end grooves, that’s the length of the shortest song. Scott Hull’s programmed blast beats used to dominate the blip-sized tunes,...

Maria Taylor LadyLuck [3/5] Maria Taylor would never make it in pop music. This is neither a slight nor a compliment: The Omaha singer/songwriter, formerly of Azure Ray, is just so subtle and nuanced in her writing and recording that nothing about her quiet, acoustic songs is immediate. Each is delicate and precise, often...

Sylvie Trees And Shade Are Our Only Fences [4.5/5] Fans of Minus The Bear, take note: There’s a new ethereal, mathy, post-hardcore game in town. For those who remember the bright spark that were Despistado, a band who imploded just before releasing their debut full-length on Jade Tree, Sylvie will feature an ex-member and...

Mono Hymn To The Immortal Wind [4/5] The post-rock instrumental scene has become saturated with colorlessly competent bands and their predictable compositions, all metronomic ebb-and-flow dynamics. Mono rank among the genre’s innovators, infusing their work with fragile beauty and real emotion-qualities that ensure listeners become invested in the songs’ intricacies instead of simply following...

Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs How To Get To Heaven From Scotland [4/5] When Aidan Moffat of defunct Scottish mopes Arab Strap turns his attention to writing the ultimate love-song album, you can rest assured it won’t be easy listening. In the opening scene of “Living With You Now,” she’s punched him in...