Year: 2013
Review: Authority Zero – Tipping Point
Does it count as having a favorite song if “favorite” describes half the songs on an album? … read more
Review: AUN – Alpha/Heaven
There are depths in Alpha/Heaven that go beyond your garden-variety ambient drone record. … read more
Review: Audacity – Butter Knife
Audacity, like any great garage rock outfit, shouldn’t be listened to in headphones. This shit is always best when blasted through a shitty PA in an under-ventilated asbestos ridden basement. … read more
Review: Bad Religion – Christmas Songs
Although I can’t say exactly what I was expecting from this record, I have to say, other than its oddball appeal, the jovial seasonal tunes didn’t really scratch the itch I got when I first heard about this project. … read more
Review: Bakers Dozen/Kombatants – European Invasion
Here are two European punk bands, firmly rooted in the Oi! traditions of writing solid (if not a teensy bit derivative) songs about braces, boots, beers, birds and (foot)ball. … read more
Review: Axxa/Abraxas – Self-Titled
Ben Asbury is the man behind Axxa/Abraxas and the newest addition to the Captured Tracks roster. Producer Jarvis Taveniere, of Brooklyn psych band Woods, lends his skills but unintentionally casts his shadow over the album. … read more
Review: Bailterspace – Trinine
Let’s get easy comparisons out of the way—Bailterspace are often compared to certain American alternative bands from the angry alt ’80s and it’s not difficult to hear why on Trinine—Alister Parker’s monotonous singing and vicious guitar playing sounds so close to both Thurston Moore and J. Mascis. … read more
Review: Andy D Presents The Weekend – War Cries
The cover art for War Cries is some of the worst I have seen in a while. I was hoping that the music would be enjoyable enough to create some sort of balance, but it was not for me at all. Of course, not everybody is going to enjoy everything—I just don’t particularly enjoy writing entirely negative reviews. … read more
Review: And So I Watch You From Afar
The Belfast, Ireland trio, And So I Watch You From Afar, returns with their technicolor warpaint-smudged and candy-coated Slayer riffs punching gaping holes into rainbow-bleeding amplifiers. … read more
Review: Anchoress – Set Sail
I’m calling it—this is the album of the summer, if not the year. Furious and cocky hardcore punk with more swagger in 22 minutes than most bands have in a full LP, I haven’t taken this album out of my stereo since I started listening to it. … read more
Review: Anvil – Hope is Hell
It’s been six years since the documentary was made about Canada’s Anvil rising out of obscurity to, well, just about a higher level of obscurity. The fact that Anvil had some good records in the ‘80s—right about the time metal wasn’t so cool anymore—but never rose to outright fame is the story of a lot of metal bands. … read more
Review: Amon Amarth – Deceiver of the Gods
As one of my friends so cleanly sums it up: “It’s an Amon Amarth record.” … read more
