Contributions
Shreddy Krueger - Curses EP
Shreddy Krueger Curses EP Coming from Kelowna, British Columbia, could be a daunting prospect for any band, never mind a “modern” metalcore act like Shreddy Krueger (who definitely should have stuck with their old name, Secret & Whisper). It’s a small town (trust us, we’ve been there) with not a lot of outside inspiration or […]
Everyone Dies In Utah - +//- (Polarities)
Everyone Dies In Utah +//- (Polarities) While an argument could always be made that the world doesn’t ever really need another band like Everyone Dies In Utah (or an album title like +//- (Polarities), for that matter), some significantly redeeming qualities can be found on the Texas post-hardcore band’s second album. Take “Simply Me//2,” for […]
Forever Came Calling - Contender
Forever Came Calling Contender Let’s face it, New Found Glory and Senses Fail aren’t getting any younger, so there’s reason to celebrate a new crop of pop-punk heroes coming up through the all-ages clubs and local dive bars to take the throne of wagged tongues and youthful over-exuberance. Enter Handguns, Mixtapes, and, yes, Forever Came […]
Memphis May Fire - Challenger
Memphis May Fire Challenger The downfall of Memphis May Fire on their previous releases was a lack of focus and polish. They had their metalcore-lite and post-hardcore formula dialed in, and they stuck in a safe zone where everything could be thrown into their kitchen sink’s melting pot. On Challenger, the Texas band try their […]
Madball - Rebellion EP
Madball Rebellion EP One of the nicest things about Madball is they will always sound like you expect them to sound—tough-guy hardcore, all the way. Like a favorite blanket (albeit one decorated with big dudes brandishing even bigger muscles), these guys are always there to comfort us with their windmill-inducing breakdowns and over-the-top gang vocals. […]
Future Of The Left - The Plot Against Common Sense
Future Of The Left The Plot Against Common Sense This review originally ran in AP 287. For Future Of The Left’s third album, frontman Andy Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone are fortified by a second guitarist (Jimmy Watkins), a new bassist (Julia Ruzicka) and some new synthesizer settings, all in the name of high-decibel spleen […]
Write This Down - Lost Weekend
Write The Down Lost Weekend Definitely a product of the ’90s, we’d bet our spiked face jewelry that the members of Write This Down spent a lot of time during their youths listening to Linkin Park, Papa Roach and Disturbed. The so-dirty-it’s-clean guitar sound brings us right back to the days of teen angst seen […]
Post Teens - The Heat EP
Post Teens The Heat EP Five songs in a shade more than six minutes. Now that we have that out of the way, fans of old-school punk/hardcore like Circle Jerks, the Adolescents and Gang Green will be cheers-ing exuberantly to the new EP by Florida’s Post Teens (featuring guys from Assholeparade, Torche and other Florida […]
The Atom Age - The Hottest Thing That's Cool
The Atom Age The Hottest Thing That’s Cool A strange dilemma is faced when listening to The Hottest Thing That’s Cool, the new album by Oakland, California’s the Atom Age. When one band sounds so much like another band—and even admits that without said band, they probably wouldn’t exist—it’s hard to completely enjoy them. Luckily, […]