Reviews

Volumes Different Animals FILE UNDER: Melodic Aggro-Core ROCKS LIKE: Issues, Dangerkids, Periphery WHAT'S DIFFERENT: Gone are the lulling atmospheric instrumentals that defined Volumes for the first half of their career. Instead, the band have branched into more hip-hop-inspired rockcore, due largely to the addition of clean vocalist Myke Terry. WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Different Animals […]

Mutoid Man War Moans FILE UNDER: METAL UP YOUR ASS ROCKS LIKE: Iron Maiden, Kyuss, Testament WHAT’S DIFFERENT: There’s no room for weak links in a power trio, and Mutoid Man—guitarist/singer Stephen Brodsky, drummer Ben Koller (Converge, All Pigs Must Die) and bassist Nick Cageao—are as mighty as trios come. Unabashed, unironic and unapologetic in […]

Eighteen Visions XVIII FILE UNDER: FASHIONCORE REVIVAL ROCKS LIKE: Code Orange, Every Time I Die, Throwdown WHAT'S DIFFERENT: That depends on where you look. On XVIII, Eighteen Visions revisit the “old stuff,” early '00s Orange County metalcore cheekily dubbed “fashioncore.” Those primitive, sketchy recordings receive a total makeover for 2017. Lead guitarist Keith Barney is […]

’68 Two Parts Viper FILE UNDER: Unbridled and unconcerned ROCKS LIKE: Blues Explosion, Nirvana, Jack White WHAT’S NEW: ’68 frontman Josh Scogin got wilder, weirder and (in places) pensive. If ’68’s debut In Humor And Sadness was all about scorched amp and pedal abuse, Two Parts Viper broadens the vision with weird micro-moments of cut […]

Tigers Jaw spin FILE UNDER: Emo rock done right ROCKS LIKE: Saves The Day, the Get Up Kids, Lemuria WHAT'S DIFFERENT: While Tigers Jaw’s lineup was overhauled in 2013, it was essentially business as usual on that year’s Charmer, with three departing members appearing on the recording. On spin, it’s all Ben Walsh and Brianna […]

The Mountain Goats Goths FILE UNDER: Spritely tunes about dark music ROCKS LIKE: Spoon, Prefab Sprout, Portastatic WHAT’S DIFFERENT: The 16th full-length by this always reliable indie-pop project finds leader John Darnielle exploring the weird and wonderful world of goths, applying the same sort of arch yet empathetic songwriting eye to this subgroup as he […]

Vinyl Theatre Origami FILE UNDER: Charismatic indie pop ROCKS LIKE: Twenty One Pilots, Two Door Cinema Club, Minus The Bear WHAT’S DIFFERENT: Vocalist Keegan Calmes takes a leap of faith with lyrics primarily about discovering mental strength from personal mistakes, thereby providing a mature perspective this time around for Vinyl Theatre. Origami exhibits true musicianship […]

John Frum A Stirring In The Noos FILE UNDER: Psychedelic death metal ROCKS LIKE: Gorguts, Gigan, Ulcerate WHAT’S DIFFERENT: Considering John Frum’s lineup—current and ex-members of the Dillinger Escape Plan, the Faceless, John Zorn and more—you’d expect the band’s debut to be an eclectic but surgically precise slab of tech-metal. A Stirring In The Noos […]

Machine Gun Kelly bloom ROCKS LIKE: Kid Rock, Wiz Khalifa, Everlast WHAT'S DIFFERENT: The best way to view MGK’s third studio set is through the prism of two recent tracks. One of them, of course, is “Bad Things,” the breakthrough duet with Camila Cabello that blew up last year by showcasing Kells’ softer side. bloom […]

Motionless In White Graveyard Shift FILE UNDER: Deadly heavy ROCKS LIKE: Korn, Escape The Fate, Atreyu WHAT'S DIFFERENT: Throughout their musical career, MIW have wrestled with how to create their own identity while still paying homage to their major influences. At times the struggle may have gotten the best of them, but that’s not so […]

Grayscale Adornment FILE UNDER: Infectious Pop Punk ROCKS LIKE: Man Overboard, Light Years, ROAM WHAT'S DIFFERENT: If you’re seeking your next pop-punk addiction, Grayscale will certainly oblige with Adornment. The Philadelphia-based five-piece honed in on what worked on past releases—raw storytelling and hooks—while fine-tuning their musicianship and introducing new tactics. Fresh additions include mixing it […]

Cayetana New Kind Of Normal FILE UNDER: Introspective indie-punk ROCKS LIKE: Liz Phair, P.S. Eliot, forgetters WHAT'S DIFFERENT: Cayetana refine their scrappy, poppy garage punk so immensely on their sophomore LP, they might even need recategorization. They were always adept at that sound, trembling vocals and all, but here they sound tighter, more focused, even […]

At The Drive-In in•ter a•li•a FILE UNDER: Game starters turned changers WHAT’S DIFFERENT: The passage of time didn’t dull any of the edges the members of At The Drive-In forged on their last LP, 2001’s Relationship Of Command. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Keeley Smith create tangled guitar helixes and charging riffs; frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala is one […]

A Lot Like Birds DIVISI FILE UNDER: Something Different Returns ROCKS LIKE: The Receiving End Of Sirens, HRVRD, Tides Of Man WHAT'S DIFFERENT: Yes, vocalist Kurt Travis is out of the picture, and the band’s sound has shifted. But DIVISI deserves its own conversation: A Lot Like Birds’ fourth album chases that atmospheric progressive/post-hardcore sound […]

Jimmy Urine The Secret Cinematic Sounds Of Jimmy Urine FILE UNDER: Synthesizers With Attitude ROCKS LIKE: Gatekeeper, John Carpenter, Justice WHAT’S DIFFERENT: As ringleader of Mindless Self Indulgence, Jimmy Urine kept things jittery and furious in a way that appealed to drum-and-bass enthusiasts and industrial-rock rivetheads. On this mostly instrumental solo offering, he explores more […]

Terror The Walls Will Fall EP FILE UNDER: Hardcore Groove ROCKS LIKE: Stick To Your Guns, Hundredth, Bane WHAT'S DIFFERENT: The Walls Will Fall adds a chug-tastic flair to Terror’s classic hardcore sound with guitar riffs reminiscent of Pantera’s golden age. Tracks like “Balance The Odds” and “No Love Lost” dip cautiously into the metal […]

Los Angeles Police Department Los Angeles Police Department FILE UNDER: Beefed-up bedroom pop ROCKS LIKE: Elliott Smith, Daniel Johnston, Grizzly Bear WHAT'S DIFFERENT: The sense of intimacy and the country-tinged aesthetic survive from LA songwriter Ryan Pollie’s 2014 debut, which produced the left-field hit “She Came Through (Again).” But this eponymous follow-up wisely turns its […]

The Dirty Nil Minimum R&B FILE UNDER: Bubble-grunge ROCKS LIKE: SWMRS, WAVVES, Partybaby WHAT’S DIFFERENT: Minimum R&B is a compilation of deep tracks from this Canadian trio’s illustrious catalogue of EPs and singles. Brandishing noise with crass emotion and a grounding simper, the Dirty Nil write songs that show off their diverse abilities and dynamic […]

New Found Glory Makes Me Sick FILE UNDER: Pop-punk icons ROCKS LIKE: All Time Low, State Champs, Waterparks WHAT’S DIFFERENT: NFG’s ninth LP is a decidedly more robust affair than 2014’s Resurrection. Rhythm guitar makes a reappearance after a brief, one-album departure, and the sound is rounded out even more with an abundance of ’80s-leaning […]

Have Mercy Make The Best Of It FILE UNDER: Alt-rock emo ROCKS LIKE: Jimmy Eat World, the Early November, I Am The Avalanche WHAT'S DIFFERENT: Have Mercy’s growth seems subtle at first glance on their third full-length, but further listening exposes the maturation and darker shades of their melodic, emo-leaning alt-rock. Their aching, observant lyrics […]