Eluvium - Similies
Similies Matthew Cooper has been releasing deeply moving music under the Eluvium moniker since 2003 (as well as putting out the Miniatures album under his own name in 2008), and Similies, Eluvium's fifth full-length, is every bit as magnificent as what has come before. Through the use of warm electronics, piano and organ, feedback drones, occasional acoustic guitar,...
High On Fire - Snakes For The Divine
Snakes For The Divine High on Fire are the new Mötörhead. The Bay Area trio rage like the orc warlords of the heavy metal underground, worshiped for a hybrid hard rock sound that's instantly recognizable to band's loyal legions and too abrasive for the masses. Snaggle-fanged frontman Matt Pike is the next coming of Lemmy,...
Empires - BANG EP
Bang EP Chicago quintet Empires explained the series of singles that now comprise this EP as choosing quality over quantity. They almost inexplicably chose not to saddle these five songs with a half-dozen filler tracks and label it an album, as just about any other hungry young band might've. Of course, Empires are smarter than...
Isles And Glaciers - The Hearts Of Lonely People
Isles And Glaciers The Hearts Of Lonely People EP There's really no other “scene” record out there quite like The Hearts Of Lonely People, the debut EP by post-hardcore supergroup Isles & Glaciers, but after hearing it, you kinda wish there was. Built around the three-pronged vocal attack of Craig Owens (ex-Chiodos), Vic Fuentes (Pierce The...
B. Dolan - Fallen House, Sunken City
Fallen House, Sunken City After a slew of mixtapes and guest spots, rapper/poet/activist B.Dolan is back with the follow-up to his 2002 debut, The Failure. Indie-rap icon Sage Francis, who re-released The Failure in '08 on his Strange Famous Records, is also behind Dolan's latest, Fallen House, Sunken City. If you've never heard Dolan, you'll be surprised at how...
Demon Hunter - The World Is A Thorn
The World Is A Thorn On Demon Hunter's fifth album, they're throwing everything they've got at the listener, hoping something will stick long enough for their pro-Jesus message to sink in. The fast, heavy songs ("Descending Upon Us," "LifeWar," the title track, "Tie This Around Your Neck") blend nü metal and metalcore, with Mudvayne-ish choruses;...
Small Brown Bike - Composite, Volume Two EP
Composite, Volume Two EP Small Brown Bike keep the creative juices flowing with their second post-reunion 7" of new jams. Composite, Volume 2 is another double-shot offering of the band's signature post-hardcore laced with worn emotions and charged atmospheres. But which signature, exactly? October 2009's Volume 1 was like a refinement of the gruff, upbeat sing-alongs of 2001's Dead Reckoning (think...
Daughters - Daughters
Daughters After shedding their art-grind style from 2003's debut Canada Songs and expanding into more avant-noise territory, Daughters have finally added the missing piece to their sound–a crushing low end. The drums and bass on their new, self-titled album create a punishing bedrock for the songs to set in, there's a semblance of melody in some parts,...
From First To Last - Throne To The Wolves
Throne To The Wolves From First To Last are coming out swinging, determined to earn back fans' trust after their disappointing third album, From First To Last, released to a resounding thud on Geffen imprint Suretone in 2007. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Good has finally become a true frontman; his sneering, whisper-to-a-scream vocal assault is captivating, and the band create...