Month: December 2013
Review: Xiu Xiu – Nina
This is obviously a work of love. This homage to the late, great soulstress Nina Simone is beautiful and stark. … read more
Review: Young Turks – Where I Rise
“I don’t give a shit, your music means nothing! Your actions speak even less,” yells Matt Koenig at the beginning of “Territo(royally) Pissed.” … read more
Review: Warmaster/Humiliation – Self-Titled Split
Disregard the full-length’s display—this is a track-exclusive release and meant to be played on turntables pumping the deadskin collection that continuously builds up in your speakers back into your nasal cavity. Vinyl hoarders take note: This release is on nice, blood-splattered wax and limited to 500 copies. … read more
Review: Weekend Nachos – Still
John Hoffman’s vocal plasticity, which ranges from harrowing shrieks to guttural bellowing and intermittent grooving (“Yes Way” and “Broken Mirror”), compares to others of the ilk. Ultimately, though, the band plies their wares where the most bread gets buttered: punishing power violence with an occasional metal flourish. … read more
Review: Weird Owl – Healing
Brooklyn psych band with personal and label support from Anton Newcombe—that tagline should be enough of a selling point for many people interested in this record. Reverb and overdrive are more prominent effects than fuzz on Healing, setting it apart somewhat from previous Weird Owl releases. … read more
Review: Warbringer – IV: Empires Collapse
Though Empires Collapse is certainly a capital “T” Thrash record, it also incorporate more doom, punk and even industrial influences than any previous record, as made evident on ominous pounders like “The Turning of the Gears” and “Leviathan.” … read more
Review: VNV Nation – Transnational
Remaining true to their sound, VNV Nation have stuck with their trendy, almost mainstream, future pop style that created their popularity. … read more
Review: Windhand – Soma
Soma echoes the smoke-wreathed incantations of Electric Wizard with their heavy, powerful riffing and foreboding atmosphere. However, Windhand tones down the grooviness of the British black wizards, aiming instead for something closer to a traditional doom sound. … read more
Review: Vaadat Charigim – The World Is Well Lost
The World abounds in primary shoegaze elements: swirls of lush guitar and nostalgic, monotone vocals. Tracks here move in and out of noise and meandering sonic contemplation, with a dark energy reminiscent of Slowdive’s Souvlaki. … read more
![Review: Various Artists – SMM: Opiate [Ghostly International Comp.]](/uploads/301/6930-various%20artists%20smm%20poiate-crop-396x288.jpg)
Review: Various Artists – SMM: Opiate [Ghostly International Comp.]
A Winged Victory for the Sullen, Noveller, Celer, Black Swan and Pjusk (plus many more) breathe life into their structured explorations of softened noise and white, foamy swells of feedback and elongated tones. Concentrated as this compilation is, there is a surprising amount of variety running through the curated contributors. … read more