Year: 2013
Reviews: Turn Me On Dead Man – We Are The...
The new age mysticism concepts on We Are The Star People comes off as too contrived, the riffs are too cut-and-dried (especially when paired with the band’s Marc Bolan and George Harrison influences) and the lyrics sound like drivel spewed from a smug yuppie backpacking in India. … read more
Reviews: Void Meditation Cult/Sperm of Antichrist – Sulfurous Prayers of...
What essentially amounts to a split release by the same band (Void Meditation Cult was previously called Sperm of Antichrist), the first side of Sulfurous Prayers of Blight and Darkness is Void Meditation Cult and the second side is Sperm of Antichrist—confused yet? … read more
Reviews: Watain – The Wild Hunt
I don’t quite understand why it is that Watain has become such a polarizing band in the metal underground—people either love them or absolutely despise them. … read more
Reviews: Zola Jesus and JG Thirlwell featuring Milvox Quartet
Versions is existing Zola Jesus material reimagined with string arrangements by No Wave icon JG Thirlwell. … read more
Reviews: Speedy Ortiz – Major Arcana
Major Arcana comes across as pretty, ’90s lo-fi grunge, and would be appropriate listening after watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer while wearing a flannel shirt and ripped jeans. … read more
Reviews: The Bronx – IV
After releasing two albums as their mariachi alter ego, these L.A. rockers have returned with a bit less snarl, but still plenty of swagger. … read more
Reviews: The Delta Mirror – Better Unsung
Better Unsung is an easy listen, with an interesting mixture of instruments both electronic and natural, vocals that are either clear or are so distorted they are merely mumbles, and a careful use of different musical styles. … read more
Reviews: The Diemakers – Detroit Recordings
It wouldn’t be fair to blame the difficulty I had sitting through the six songs of Detroit Recordings on the drums or lyrics. … read more
Reviews: Nunslaughter – The Devil’s Congeries, Vol. 1
Ah, Nunslaughter—my favorite “collector’s-fucking-nightmare” devil metal band. To the uninformed, these Pittsburgh natives (now residing in Cleveland) play absolutely filthy, blasphemous metal, and they have more releases than there are shitty “reality” television shows about people I don’t give a fat fuck about. … read more
Reviews: Norma Jean – Wrongdoers
I didn’t know what to expect out of this album—the band having dropped off my radar after O God: The Aftermath—but imagine my delight at listening to what would turn out to be a highly emotional and engaging post-hardcore record that has since become as addictive as Nutella-flavored crack. … read more