This is 12 cuts of the heaviest shit the band has done in a while. All the qualities you want in a metal record—riffs, grooves, crazy solos—yeah, it fucking rocks. I can’t find a bad song in the bunch. … read more
Review: Purgation – Exterminated Malfeasance
Behind the louder noises are stellar death metal groove punches and some just-as-stellar sweet bass playing. Looking at this record from the optimistic point of view, it’s damn pleasing, it just takes a few listens of aural adjustments and you get the full devastating effect of it all. … read more
Review: Preston Lovinggood – Shadow Songs
Before my first listening of Shadow Songs, I was preparing myself to sit through another guy with a guitar singing cliché love songs. What I got instead was a pleasant surprise of dreamy pop melodies with morbid lyrics, creating happy little ears that felt alright about listening to cliché love songs. … read more
Review: Pillar Point – Self-Titled
Pillar Point is a new dance-pop project formed by Scott Reitherman of Secretly Canadian band Throw Me The Statue (indie-poppers keen to hand claps and toe taps; see “Lolita”). Though this debut album explores the glum themes of uncertainty and heartbreak, the songs are catchy and buzzing with danceable synth hooks and hummable pop structures. … read more
Review: Pompeya – Tropical
Tropical, by Russian quartet Pompeya, has a variety of funky tracks and smooth, uptempo ballads. Pompeya’s melodic and up-tempo feel on Tropical made me feel like I was a distressed character from a movie running on the beach—in slow motion, of course. … read more
Review: Potpourri Of Pearls – We Went to Heaven
A concept album of sorts—based on the fact that PoP’s lead singer Adam Brody’s 14th birthday coincided with the discovery of the unfortunate victims from the Heaven’s Gate cult—even if only loosely themed, makes for a bizarre sophomore release. … read more
Review: Psyclon Nine – Order Of The Shadow
Oh, the terror! This release is full of hard, heavy, head-banging metal and aggrotech beats. I loved the gritty, grinding, nasty guitar riffs. It is disappointing that they are mixed in with overdone, scratchy, screaming vocals that make you want to tear your skin off. … read more
Review: Pow! – Hi-Tech Boom
This record buzzes like a Brookstone orgasm chair, especially the track “Switchboard Scientist,” which swoons like a Funkadelic groove minus the big-band instruments, with added Prozac and guitar dirge. It’s no downer, though. … read more
Review: Picastro – You
This album embodies everything I love about experimental music. You communicates what I like to call “black folk.” … read more
Review: Pink Mountaintops – Get Back
Vancouver indie post-punk (for lack of a better term) band Pink Mountaintops’ past members include members of everything from experimental bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor to psych troupes The Warlocks to the heavy purveyors Black Mountain. … read more
Review: Plateau Below – Still Paradise
“Eris” opens this album with the driving mantras and quiet anxiety you heard from Modest Mouse on the Lonesome and Crowded West, though Plateau keeps it rounded with an almost Syd Barrett-esque psychedelic flourish. … read more
Review: Protomartyr – Under Color of Official Right
The intro to Under Color of Official Right might trick you into thinking you’re listening to neo-beach music on par with The Drums. Although the surf-reverberated guitar continues through the first track, the lyrics—sounding as if they’re sung through inflamed vocal chords—shatter the expectations of the surf rock genre. … read more
