Music Reviews of Hardcore, Crust, Post-Hardcore, Metalcore
Band Spotlight
Chiodos
Perhaps no one can explain the sheer ferocity and timid quietness it is better than when vocalist Craig Owens says “we don’t want to let the kids down” when discussing the group’s intense vocals live at shows. Well they never let a single kid down with their vicious assault on the ears and grip on the jugular...
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Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker
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The Geeks - Every Time We Fall
Limbeck - Limbeck
WinterKids - Memoirs
03.09.2007 by J-Sin
Music Reviews of Hardcore, Crust, Post-Hardcore, Metalcore
Elder — Elder 10" Buy it at Amazon
Members of the underground Philly bands Balboa and Towers combine to form the ultimate in melodic post-rock in Elder. Shiny guitar riffs glitter with expansive distortion and effects churning out harmonies that could easily be present on a Fugazi album as much as it could be on an opus composed by Explosions in the Sky. Vocally it’s old school ‘90’s style screamo. Released as a three-song 10”, it’s three songs of equal weight and impact. Forceful drums smash and crash along to the melodic undercurrent of bass while the lyrics grab the politically and socially conscious individual head-on. In a word, masterful.
- J-Sin
Fight Amp — Hungry For Nothing Buy it at Amazon
New Jersey, the Garden State, where metal and hardcore and even punk have become the backbone of the music scene. Produced by Phillip Cope at the Jam Room (Kylesa, Baroness), “Hungry for Nothing” is a loud and aggressive metal album that doesn’t honor any cliché or particular genre cue. I’d reckon their sound is somewhere in vein with Today is the Day and Unsane. Adrenaline pumping hard-edged monster guitar riffs deluge the frenetic drumming and hollow screaming and yelling vocals. Their brand of noise rock has gotten audiences spinning their heads like the little girl from “The Exorcist” who spew about their live show like it’s a religious experience. Sludge metal anthems that are so filthy and dank they’ll leave stains even bleach can’t touch.
- J-Sin
Six and Violence — Bastards of the Universe Buy it at Amazon
A double disc of outrageous balls-in-your-face Agnostic Front-esque punk-hardcore, “Bastards of the Universe” is most certainly an acquired taste. Much like No Redeeming Social Value, a lot of the songs are over-the-top and ridiculous (“Death to Guidos”, “Moby’s Dick”, “I Left My Head in San Francisco”, and “One-Eyed Wanderer” should clue you in). Angry yet funny music that sadly came to a real end when vocalist Paulie Gazzara passed away in ’05 merely a month after their final show at CBGB’s.
- J-Sin
Desoto Jones — Aurora Buy it at Amazon
Debut albums can either disappoint, be yawningly average, or blow your top off. Well consider my head blown off. Desoto Jones marries post-hardcore crunch with emotional rock ballads and beautiful soaring catchiness. “Aurora” tackles the listener with a ton of affectionate and passionate arrays of moving choruses and smart sky-scratching guitar blitzes. Possibly one of the best new young bands out there, Desoto Jones catches you with disarming harmonies and incredible songwriting. Recorded and produced by Chris Badami (Dillinger Escape Plan, Midtown, The Starting Line, and The Early November), “Aurora” is dashingly brilliant, compelling, and completely irresistible with hooks that sink their teeth deep into your neck.
- J-Sin
No Redeeming Social Value — Still Drinking! Buy it at Amazon
Having been around since ’88, No Redeeming Social Value has been a mainstay in the hardcore/punk scene for almost two decades. While they’ve always been a party band or joke band if you will, they’ve always been hilariously fun to rock out to, and if you’ve seen them live you’ll know why. This release contains music videos and a limited edition promotional DVD as well as tons of unreleased music. Great songs include “Skinheads Rule”, “Anal Cunt Sucks (and they’re all gay)”, “All I Wanna Do Is Drink Beer”, and “Beer=Fun”. Funny stuff.
- J-Sin
Ambitions — Stranger Buy it at Amazon
Connecticut is probably the last place that you’d expect something down to earth to come from, right? Well Ambitions, have, well, ambitions to do just that. And boy do they succeed. Following the destruction and implosion of seminal group With Honor, Ambitions forge a new style of post-hardcore and indie rock that fuses punk and bands like Bad Religion, Fugazi, Quicksand and others into a subterfuge of frenzied guitar anthems. Great dynamics and catchy songwriting are one of many reasons to list Ambitions as having one of the better albums this year.
- J-Sin
Crime In Stereo — Crime In Stereo Is Dead Buy it at Amazon
It was one year. A year between the noted ’06 album “The Troubled Stateside” and this, “Crime In Stereo Is Dead”. It found the group feeling disjointed and disconnected from themselves, their label, and even their fans. One member went to work as a political consultant, helping judicial candidates for the New York State Democratic Party while his diabetes continued to plague him each and every day. Meanwhile Mike Musilli became a teacher for his hometown high school. They decided to give songwriting another whirl, and set about to record “…Is Dead” with Bridge Nine Records stepping in and partnering. Amazing their punk and melodic hardcore sound was even more refined, finding the group destined to produce an album as explosive and discordant as their critically acclaimed “The Troubled Stateside”. Catchy songwriting, politically leftist allusions, and chugging guitars churn their way into a butter that makes every piece of toast that more inviting and addictive. MMM, good.
- J-Sin
Arise and Ruin — The Final Dawn Buy it at Amazon
Metalcore mavens Arise and Ruin have proven that our neighbors to the North can be just as devastating as any metal band here in the States. Sick vocals that scream and do hardcore yelps are but one iota of “The Final Dawn”’s twisted stomach-turning metallic crunch. Double bass drum kicks combined with the insane guitar assaults are but more reason to go and lock up all your valuables. Adrenaline and alcohol junkies that want to create some pit-mayhem have now finally found their soundtrack in ’07, which was recorded by Unearth’s guitarist Ken Susi.
- J-Sin
Ashes of Your Enemy — The Undying Buy it at Amazon
Metalcore hybrid Ashes of Your Enemy demolish their native New Jersey with a crushing onslaught of guitar-centric metal. Having been together for two years now, Ashes of Your Enemy has drawn a line in the sand and shown that no one will ever forget the impression that Pantera left upon the metal world. Now while their music for the most part definitely has a certain nu-metal mark about it, fortunately Ashes of Your Enemy doesn’t always rely on clichés and instead will surprise you with their dynamic and head-spinning approach.
- J-Sin
Nights Like These — Sunlight At Secondhand Buy it at Amazon
Victory Records has made their mark not so much with their hardcore or punk acts that they were so known for in the late ‘90’s and early ‘00’s but with their more made-up (as in eyeliner) screamo and emo-ish bands. Well move over wusses, here comes Nights Like These, a band destined to avoid pigeonholing for forever. “Sunlight at Secondhand” finds the group bouncing from metalcore to hardcore, dark metal to technical brutality all without ever taking a breather or a mulligan. Spastic guitars, stirring vocals, and plenty of merciless gut-checks, Nights Like These are a favored choice among the black-dyed hair do groups.
- J-Sin
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