Issues: Issue 303 - March 2014
Review: Youth Forgotten – Ghost of A Fallen Empire
Youth Forgotten have a lot of influences: speed metal, thrash, early-’00s metalcore, gothic rock and crossover. When YF combines two genres in one song, it sounds good, but this was quite rare. … read more
Review: Xiu Xiu – Angel Guts: Red Classroom
On this most recent Xiu Xiu release, Jamie Stewart has taken a darker, more gothic approach than on other recent albums. Some apt comparisons might be Bauhaus or Siouxsie And The Banshees. … read more
Review: Yasmine Hamdan – Ya Nass
“Shouei” stuck out most for me, evoking the sounds of staring out the window and watching the rain in your cozy setting of choice. The album sways gracefully between the nostalgic sounds, like in “Aleb,” to darker, tormented melodies, such as “Enta Fen, Again” and “La Mouch.” … read more
Review: Weekend – The ’81 Demos
The demos presented here are more sparse in sound and instrumentation than the tracks that later appeared on 1982’s La Varieté, the only album released by the band. This is a short set of songs, but it’s rather beautiful, and without any moments wasted. … read more
Review: Tycho – Awake
Hansen has created a blend of organic and digital that isn’t overwhelming to fans of Tycho’s earlier work, but heavy enough that it might even be enjoyed by an indie rock fan. The final three tracks of Awake show how far Hansen has come with not just his understanding of music but his ability to grow and evolve, bringing his listeners along for the ride. … read more
Review: Van Canto – Dawn of the Brave
While Van Canto isn’t treading new territory with this album, their a capella take on power metal has only gotten more interesting and refined with time. … read more
Review: Various Artists – The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute
As mortals, it’s only natural that we contemplate our demise. How will I be remembered? How will my passing be marked? When No Use For A Name frontman Tony Sly left this plane of existence, the global punk rock community seemed to come to a screeching stop. … read more
Review: Various Artists – Trilogy Part I, Heaven; Part II,...
Heaven is the first of a trilogy of Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian, Montenegran and Macedonian artists who, as the name suggests, play in a vein of subdued electronic music. … read more
Review: Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra – Fuck Off...
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything Constellation Records Street: 01.21 Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra = Of Montreal + Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Sonic Youth “We live on an island called Montreal, and we make a lot of noise because we love each other,”
Review: The Traps – Boom Pow Awesome Wow
Fans of the old Sun Records artists will find themselves at home in the blues number “Get Up,” both in the lack of pretentious musical build-up and sound quality. But there is a GG Allin brand of perversion here that might repel listeners who like their rock n’ roll with a hint of cute irony, because there’s none of that. … read more