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Review: Augie March – Strange Bird
Augie March Strange Bird Spin Art When Elbow’s vocalist Guy Garvey sings the praises of Australia’s Augie March, you can’t help but feel like he’s being narcissistic. It isn’t that Strange Bird steals from Elbow as much as it implements the same mumbled vocals over a down-tempo atmosphere that dominates Elbow’s recordings. While many might
Review: The Static Age – Neon Nights Electric Lives
The Static Age Neon Nights Electric Lives Tarantulas Having toured with AFI, you might expect something with a little more of a punk rock kick from The Static Age, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they’re actually closer to Catherine Wheel than Davey Havok & Co. Not that you can’t find the smallest
Review: Zirafa – Turnstyles
Zirafa Turnstyles Risk the Rook Turnstyles starts off nicely with breaking glass and electronics, somewhat reminiscent of what Depeche Mode did with “Blasphemous Rumor.” The second track, “Lost,” however, hints at something far more than interesting with its lighthearted piano giving way into distorted guitars and washed vocals. There is something slightly hip-hop by way
Review: The Angels of Light – Other People
The Angels of Light Other People Young God Michael Gira (Swans) returns with an album that is familiar while remaining a departure from what you might expect: Other People. Gone are the grandiose epics and hypnotic peaks replaced by a starkness that finally allows a glimpse of the brilliance without the antics getting in the
Review: Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible 10th Anniversary...
Manic Street Preachers The Holy Bible 10th Anniversary Edition Epic Generally speaking, the body tends to wash ashore, the mystery fades and eventually everyone forgets that there was a story associated with a particular piece of art. In the case of the Manic’s The Holy Bible, the folklore of Richie Edwards and his untraceable
Review: Bloody Sign – Vana Vingala Loits
Bloody Sign Vana Vigala Loits Ibex Moon Records Like their fellow death-metal countrymen Mercyless and Phazm, Bloody Sign manage to combine the speed with guttural heaviness while keeping things interesting the whole way through the disc. You might say they come across as sounding like a slightly less sepulchral and less down-tuned version of Incantation.
Review: Hell-Born – Legacy Of The Nephilim
Hell-Born Legacy of the Nephilim Conquer Records Hell-Born is a band from Poland that sounds remarkably close in style to Japan’s Hellchild. This album has a definite thrash metal feel in the guitar playing, as well as the way the vocalist belts out the lyrics, but that’s as close to thrash as this gets. The
Review: Funerus – Festering Earth
Funerus Festering Earth Ibex Moon Records The first demon to escape the gates this month is Funerus, a side project of Incantation mastermind John McEntee. Funerus play abysmal and turgid death metal, with the occasional outburst of speed. They usually keep things slow or mid-paced, though. This is a good example of what
Review: Estuary – To Exist And Endure
Estuary To Exist and Endure Ibex Moon Records Also from back east is Estuary, with To Exist and Endure. This band started out as Estuary of Calamity, and had a more melodic beginning, adding keyboards and black metal vocals, among other effects. Now, they’ve stripped down their sound, ditched the pretty keys and sissy black
Review: Milk n’ 2 Sugars – Ten Years of Our...
Milk n’ 2 Sugars Presents Ten Years of Our House (Jon Cutler & Hardsoul) MN2S Records Celebrating Ten Years Of Our House music and club nights, record label MN2S teams up with New York legend Jon Cutler and Dutch duo Hardsoul to present a unique 2-CD mixed sessions. Over a 10-year time-period, MN2S have created a