Hammock are consistent- since 2005 the Nashville duo have released ten albums, a handful of EPs, and a movie soundtrack- but they’ve never been consistently great. ‘Mysterium’ though, excellent throughout, instantly ranks as one of the best, most blissful things they’ve ever done. Maybe blissful is not the right word- this is a record born from the death of a […]
Read moreLife is tough and only getting tougher. That’s the message on ‘Worry’, the debut album from Bedfordshire five-piece, Canvas. And the music they use to soundtrack their tales of woe, anxiety, and fear is fire-breathing hardcore heartily mixed with sky-scraping post-rock. It’s something that has been done before of course but, from the almost-orchestral choruses of ‘Medicate Me’ to the […]
Read moreMarilyn Manson stumbles. If you’ve caught the news coming out of Mr Warner’s comeback tour recently you’ll already know that. But more dangerous than too-high heels or falling stage props are the blunders in Manson’s back catalogue. He has undoubtedly proven himself capable of greatness but for every ‘Antichrist Superstar’ there’s been a ‘The High End of the Low’, for […]
Read moreEver wondered what sort of metal band Elvis might have formed? No, me neither. But what about the sound of a goth Morrissey, or the Misfits if they weren’t such… misfits? Well these questions and many more are answered by ‘Motherblood’, the second album from Scandanavian something-of-a-supergroup Grave Pleasures. Vocalist Mat McNerney and bassist Valtteri Arino from the defunct Beastmilk […]
Read moreSome records kick in your door and demand attention. Others tap politely on your shoulder. The second EP from American Enthusiasm (Cornwall native Sam Bedford and friends) might be even more well-mannered than that. Sure there is some gruff wailing and a little feedback here but even considering the fuzzy rock’n’roll of ‘Three Years’ or the grungy pop of ‘Broken […]
Read moreJust in case anyone felt like 36 Crazyfists, almost 25 years and now seven full-lengths into their career, could no longer make an impact, they open ‘Lanterns’ with one of the best, most whip-crack riffs they’ve ever written. After that the quality ebbs and flows, just as it has done on every one of the Alaskan-born outfit’s albums since the […]
Read moreTo say that ‘Through the Mirror’, the second record from Japanese experimental collective Endon, is a challenge is something of an understatement. This a group that use self-hatred and homemade machines to create what they have referred to as “catastrophic noise metal” and perform it live with legendary intensity. You simply aren’t ready for this. There’s not a second to […]
Read moreOh man, should this be right up my street. Members of Thrice, Curl Up and Die and Kowloon Walled City writing gritty post-hardcore songs about loss and loathing isn’t far away from what would happen if someone told me to construct a new band, fantasy football style, from my record collection. ‘Strangled Light’ though, is such a stark and spidery […]
Read moreWhile unabashedly inspired by the spacier alternative rock sounds of the 90s (there’s even a Ken Andrews guest appearance), Mossbreaker do such a close impression of the genre on their debut full-length that it could almost be a parody. Almost. Instead, from the eerie beginning to the epic end of ‘Between the Noise and You’, there’s enough honesty, care, and […]
Read moreYou can just about make this out through the haze. A second record from the Wisconsin-based Sundra, ‘Crossings’ is well represented by its cover art and best-suited to sunny summer Sunday afternoon listening. ‘Whale Song’ features no whale song but vinyl crackles, dusty synths and long, languid guitar tones are all present and correct, ‘Chances’ layers subtle liquid bass under […]
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