March 2014
Review: Cities Aviv – Come To Life
I don’t know if Gavin Mays, the man behind Cities Aviv, is trying to rap. All I know is it’s pretty fucking clear that he can’t. He produces really cool beats, though, and that makes up for a lot. Come To Life is by no means bad. It is, nevertheless, deeply indebted to Death Grips. … read more
Review: Chapel – Satan’s Rock ‘N’ Roll
Production-wise, Satan’s Rock ‘N’ Roll excels with hellish bass tones and an insistent drum punch, and no one’s denying the implicit draw of a title track that pledges allegiance to the Horned One via rock n’ roll. However, the litany of clichés and “been dones” comprising the unmemorable riffs and stylistic rehashing is hard to shake. … read more
Review: Cannabis Corpse/ Ghoul – Splatterhash Split
Yeah, they’ve got that whole “weed pun” thing cornered, splicing kief-crusted metaphors into trad-death metal fare, but slagging them as a cloying stoner parody is a serious oversight to their technical greatness. … read more
Review: Bleeding Rainbow – Interrupt
If only I had a chance to listen to this album my sophomore year of high school. Pop punk mashes surprisingly well with a soaring, ’90s infusion of grunge. … read more
Review: Bombay Bicycle Club – So Long, See You Tomorrow
The first half of the album is a lot of fun for the polite English quartet, and “Home By Now” is the album’s standout track. “Overdone” is a strong opening to the album, but “Luna” is ambient indie pop trash, and you can blame the success of Passion Pit and MGMT for its endorsement. … read more
Review: Black Knights – Medieval Chamber
Prepare for sounds of electronica with unrelated samples and effects, which are backed with an orchestra and an occasional chorus. Rugged Monk and Crisis spit harmoniously with the beats, hitting you with those West Coast, hard-hitting flows. … read more
Review: BlakOPz – As Nations Decay
“Debris Machine” has to be my favorite track, as it has a perfect layout of how backing industrial and synth tracks can be blended. The vocals on this release confirm that a revisit to the old industrial style is taking place. … read more
Review: Beck – Morning Phase
Beck, once pop music’s most reliable shape-shifter, now finds himself compelled to rehash his past glories; namely Sea Change. If you ever wanted him to make that record again, your prayers have been answered. … read more
Review: Behemoth – The Satanist
Fans of Behemoth have waited five years for this album, which is ceremonial, sinister and satisfying as hell. “Blow Your Trumpets, Gabriel” begins the ritual with hypnotic percussion and repetitive riffing, then attacks the entranced listener with Behemoth’s signature breakneck speed, accompanied by a diabolical chorus and trumpets.
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Review: Beth Thornley – Septagon
It’ll sucker- punch you in the heart when you least expect it, and that’s powerful. Thornley writes clean songs, simple and to the point with pop-ballad lyrics. The four tracks that make up Septagon may be made-for-TV, but they’re still bona fide. … read more
Review: Ass to Mouth – Degenerate
Ass to Mouth take the groove-oriented grind approach, which is nice to have some tight riffs that remain in memory. “Sentenced to Grind” and “Drunk & Stoned” give the goods by way of meat-falling-off-the-bone riffs.
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Review: Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witnesses
She’s still hanging her voice on vintage Americana hooks—“I feel so lonesome I could cry,” she sings on “Hi-five”—though this is her first release with a backing band, which envelops her fiery warble in warm, complementary tunes. … read more
