OCTOBER 2003 reviews

7 ANGELS 7 PLAGUES
UNTIL THE DAY BREATHES AND THE SHADOWS FLEE
UPRISING
Blowing through the Midwest hardcore scene, 7 Angels 7 Plagues threw everyone for a loop when they announced their unexpected dissolution of the band. This record will show you what everyone was so up in arms about. More than just conventional hardcore, 7A7P has been turning heads since their Uprising debut JHAZMYNE'S LULLABY, and they continue to do so on this new release. Frontman Temo Rios throws out some pretty sick and disgusting vocals, backed up by surprisingly-melodic yet heavy guitars. I was blown away by the breakdown of "Sweet Princess Thief". As the guitars came down, so did some pretty impressive picking. The instrumental title track brought things down a notch, but it was also worthy of note. Those looking for something to dance to will be satisfied, but not impressed. I really dug "Sweet Princess Thief" and "A Farewell to a Perfect Score". If I had one gripe, the lyrics in a couple songs tend to be a little clichéd; but otherwise, I have no complaints. Go buy this record, and do it now.
-Andrew Wietstock

93 MILLION MILES
S/T
REVELATION
93 Million Miles from the Sun is part of the long history of The Refused, being comprised of Dennis Lyxzen, Jon Brannstrom, and Jonas Erikson (along with SaidIWas' Anders Johansson). Somewhat emo and somewhat hardcore in nature, the four-piece band's five-song, partially-live, self-titled EP is made up of songs you won't find anywhere else. For fans of T(I)NC, SaidIWas, and (obviously) The Refused, 93 Million Miles from the Sun's new release is an absolute must.
-Chelsea Hassler

ALCHEMIST
AUSTRAL ALIEN
RELAPSE
Australia isn't a place you think of when you think metal or groundbreaking music, but Alchemist is about to change all of that. This veteran metal outfit has found a home for its psychedelically-supercharged metal onslaught with Relapse. This 11-track release is a prime example of a band whose creative process and experimental nature is always in high gear. Spacious riffs run circles in your head and the bottom end crushes your skull, all while the undercurrent of melody washes over your conscious like the tide. While some may liken this band to Voivod meets Monster Magnet or even a mix of Queensryche and Dream Theater, but the undeniable truth is that Alchemist will expand your musical horizon if you take the proper time to absorb AUSTRAL ALIEN in full. www.relapse.com
-Mike SOS

ALIGN
BLUE BOOK VALUE
BWR RECORDS
Align sounds like Faith No More meets Soundgarden: good, solid hard rock with an artful flair. My favorite songs on BLUE BOOK VALUE are disc opener "Lost on the 10", "Two Days to Long", and "Caught Looking". Align isn't the most original band, but there is a lot of heart on BLUE BOOK VALUE.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

AMAZING DEVICE
THE QUIET ROOM
TRIBUNAL
With their melodic honesty and catchy riffs; Amazing Device is sure to make waves in today's post-hardcore scene. THE QUIET ROOM is the first full-length from this NYC-based quartet, whose demos created a fan base that spans the entire East Coast. Aaron Wilson's vocals are reminiscent of Daryl Palumbo's (Glassjaw), but Amazing Device manages to create an original sound that is hard to forget. Emocore fans will gravitate to "Air", "Calamine", and "Discreet"; while hardcore fans will lean more towards "My Saving Grace" and "Secret". THE QUIET ROOM has something for everyone, and it is NOT to be missed.
-Chelsea Hassler

AN ALBATROSS
WE ARE THE LAZER VIKING
ACE FU RECORDS
An Albatross is my new favorite band. WE ARE THE LAZER VIKING contains carnival madness with hardcore performance. This is the most original disc that I have heard in years. An Albatross is one-half arthouse and one-half ballsy hardcore punk. With song titles such as "The Manifesto of Divine Children", "Get Faster, Cry for Happy", and "The Revolutionary Politics of Dance", you can guarantee that this disc is ready to blow the boundaries of what is considered hardcore off the map. WE ARE THE LAZER VIKING must be heard to understand—and even then, good luck. The greatness of An Albatross and their music cannot be exaggerated. WE ARE THE LAZER VIKING is the new standard.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

ANIMOSITY
SHUT IT DOWN
TRIBUNAL
For some reason, I started listening to this album with a negative attitude; but when I heard the first song, "Grey Skies", my whole perspective changed. The song has complex rhythm patterns, original riffs, AMAZING drumming, and a very tight sound. Very remarkable for kids who were only 15 and 16 years old when they recorded the album. The album features brilliant rhythms and structures. It might be something in the water up in the Bay Area, a place that also brought us Testament, Exodus, and Vio-lence. Although the vocals contain some interesting growls, they also become boring at times, with foolish lyrics. However, I wouldn't be surprised to see some groundbreaking releases from these kids in the future, because it's obvious that they have the talent and the drive to make something of themselves. Seven out of 10.
-SupZac

ARCH ENEMY
ANTHEMS OF REBELLION
CENTURY MEDIA
The prominent Swedish metal band Arch Enemy is back with their fifth studio album, their best to date. ANTHEMS OF REBELLION combines the fantastic guitar work of the Amott brothers that was apparent on '98s STIGMATA with the stimulating vocals of Angela Gossow. From this mix we get some of the most intense melodic metal around today. "Silent Wars" gets right to the point with heavy riffs and kick-ass double-bass work. Many of the songs on the CD have an anthemic sound to them, setting a positive mood and encouraging you to start a revolution of your own. The standout tracks are "Silent Wars", "We Will Rise", and "End of the Line". If you're down with Gothenburg, be sure to pick up this record, a nine out of 10.
-SupZac

ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER
ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER
WWW.ARTIMUSPYLEDRIVER.COM
Artimus Pyledriver is jamming the beer-drinking, hell-raising, high-octane redneck rock in the tradition of Mountain and modern rippers Bad Wizard. I like this disc. With song titles like "Swamp Devil", "Dirt Road White Girl", and "Shaggin Ass", you can see that Artimus Pyledriver arrives with their attitude blazing. The guitar work is very big-sounding and impressive. The band is tight. The vocals are raw. I turned this up until the police came by and wanted to know who in the hell that band was.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

ASTERISK*
DOGMA
THREE ONE G
This Swedish band is in the grindcore style. The group has two levels of vocals: Cookie Monster and shrill demon shriek. This is a retrospective CD compiling every Asterisk* track previously released. That is, DOGMA is the DOGMA I: DEATH OF A DROMOLOGIST LP, material from its split EP with Jenny Piccolo, as well as the split 7" with Nasum and assorted compilation tracks. DOGMA is 20 tracks of the band's progressive grindcore. What makes them progressive is the group makes sudden and agile leaps from the wall of sound grindcore formula into unexpected instrumental breaks and changes of mood and timbre. "Furniture" is exemplary of this, with its interludes of bass licks and angular guitar riffs.
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

AUGUST PREMIER
FIREWORKS AND ALCOHOL
FUELED BY RAMEN
I listened to August Premier a couple times just to get an expert opinion. I've concluded that these guys still need some work. "In Loving Memory" sounds pretty cool, but the chorus is a bit whiny. Some of the songs have gratuitous cursing, which I think shows a lack of effort and ability to creatively express yourself musically. The last song on the album, "Dear Chicago", a prideful ballad to their hometown, brought a smirk to my stern face.
-Luke Skywalker

AVENGED SEVENFOLD
WAKING THE FALLEN
HOPELESS RECORDS
I was pretty emotional when I got this record. The sight of a new Avenged release brought a tear to my eye. Okay, so I wasn't that excited, but it was pretty cool. I really dig this new record. Somewhat of a departure from previous Avenged recordings, this LP has everything. The opening song, "Eternal Rest", begins with an outright metal riff before crashing into one of the best breakdowns I have heard in a while. It's quickly followed by an awesome melodic section (including organ). This record probably will appeal to fans of Avenged's SOUNDING THE SEVENTH TRUMPET, as it's an offshoot of that record—but expanded to the max. Avenged move seamlessly between the heavy and the harmonious, really making for an interesting contrast. It's definitely worth checking out.
-AC Lerok of Philadelphia

A WEEK IN JULY
NEAR FATAL EXPLOSION
ORANGE PEAL RECORDS
When I popped this album in my computer and began listening, I kept anticipating that the next chorus would include a couple of hardcore screams; but that never occurred. This did not deter me, though, because A Week in July has a pretty good sound, including good singing. I especially like "Collide" and its subtle female back-up vocals. I personally think every band should have at least one song with female vocals included. Good job, Molly. In "Won't Erase" I finally got the screaming vocals—but distorted? What up with that? I'd check this band out in concert.
-Luke Skywalker

BELOVED [US]
FAILURE ON
SOLID STATE
Whenever Beloved or this album gets brought up in conversation, all I hear are statements like "Why are they so good?" and "Dude, so amazing." I could not say it better. This is a band that has set itself apart in the hardcore scene without even trying. Flawlessly blending metal, hardcore, and melody into an album that declares perseverance and pushing past failure, Beloved is a breath of fresh air to an increasingly stale hardcore scene. From the first hook in "Failure On My Lips" to the last note of "Insult to Injury", this album is pure genius. You have got to love it. www.belovedrock.com
-tChow

BENEATH THE ASHES
NAILED TO YOUR RUINS
STATE OF GRACE
Every genre of music has its leaders and followers. Unfortunately, Beneath the Ashes are the latter. They've got it all: melodramatic song titles (with gems such as "Thank Heavens When Someone Is Crazy Enough to Give Me a Daisy" and "Look in Their Eyes Mom, You'll See Me"), double-bass drums, breakdowns, and guttural, screeching vocals. Too bad all the things they took from great hardcore bands only add up to one thing: generic drivel.
-Chris Guerra

BEST OF SEVEN
BEST OF SEVEN
FASTLANE RECORDS
Opening track "Suffer Me" frightened me, with the lead singer of Best of Seven telling me about sexual encounters "with the lights down." It kind of creeps me out, but maybe that was just the first track. I thoroughly enjoyed the faster "Untrue", which included a wicked awesome studio echo effect. Described in their press release as "reminiscent to Bon Jovi and the Goo Goo Dolls," I could hear the resemblance, but from looking at the band's group photo, you, sir, are no Bon Jovi! I find it ironic that Best of Seven has a song "On the Radio" about a band moving out to Hollywood to get their song on the radio. They definitely have the rhyming skills that will produce a hit "on the radio," but, unfortunately, repeatedly singing "on the radio" doesn't cut it.
-Luke Skywalker

BLOOD IN/BLOOD OUT
NO ONE CONQUERS WHO DOESN'T FIGHT
SPOOK CITY
While not that developed and eschewing shrill guitar leads, the music of Blood In/Blood Out recalls late-'80s Slayer. The band's metal-tinged hardcore should appeal to the same crowd of hardcore and metal fans that still hum "South of Heaven". Still, the production is a little weak and muddy, which would make it no surprise to hear any one of the Laporte County, IN, band's legion of local fans remark that the CD is good, but "you gotta hear them live."
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

BRIGHT CALM BLUE
A DIRECT APPROACH FOR CASUAL CONVERSATION
LEVEL PLANE
This Lincoln, NE, quartet has one of the best names in music. Unfortunately, the band's frantic, abrasive music is anything but bright, calm, or blue. Imagine a screamo band that thinks they can do poetry and then segue into late-'70s pop riffs. The band's song titles tell the story well: "Salt and Black Water", "Static", "Swallow Feathers Whole", "Rare as Radium", etc. Basically, the band sings about a whole bunch of stuff that you wouldn't want around your house in a style that you wouldn't want around your stereo. This would be a good album for a hypertensive individual on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Other than that, it's kind of like a cheese grater for your ears. www.level-plane.com
-DUG

BROADZILLA
LADY LUCK
DIAMOND STAR RECORDS
The three women who make up Broadzilla were obviously born to rock. The band's cover of the old Motown hit "Love Child" is so relentless, in fact, it's scary. Harder than The Donnas and more fun than L7, Broadzilla may be the toughest grrl group (with commercial potential) since The Runaways.
-Stephen B. Armstrong

BROKEN BOTTLES
NOT PRETTY
FINGER RECORDS
Orange County has done it again. Broken Bottles (featuring Jes "the mess" on guitar and lead vocals) is rocking some thick-toned, bad-ass, cool punk rock with balls. This band needs to run and secure Kelly Osbourne for a video for track #2 (a sure fire hit), "Kelly Osbourne". And that tune is not nearly my favorite song on NOT PRETTY. This disc is filled to the brim with good songs. Two of my favorite tracks are "Not Pretty" (the opener) and "I Want Problems" (the closer). Broken Bottles is the real punk package.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

BUCKRA
SO MANY WEAPONS
DETONATION LABORATORIES
Buckra are four middle-aged, working-class, pudgy goons from Cincinnati who sound like a hokey attempt at being Primus or Guns N' Roses, stuck in that dinosaur-rock mentality that you need to be a sexist jerk to be in a famous band. It seems like they would feel totally comfortable playing in a strip club. Bring on the wet T-shirt contest—we have the soundtrack. It's no surprise this is a favorite bar band, I suppose (they are even a Cincinnati Budweiser True Music Selected Band). I hate bands like this. I have no respect for them. I spit on them.
-chad

BUILT UPON FRUSTRATION
RESURRECTED
DA'CORE
My brain just tried to burrow into my spinal cord. It's afraid that music these days just might not be all it's cracked up to be. If you wanted to prove that point, you could just jam (don't worry about touching the bottom of the CD (I say "jam" for a reason)) this album into the nearest CD player. Why does everybody seem to want to be Madball? Although Madball is great, what the hell is the appeal of pretending to be a band that has already made the technique amazing? This is a knock-off. Smash it.
-Franny

CALICO SYSTEM
THE DUPLICATED MEMORY
EULOGY RECORDINGS
Typical screamo, with clanging guitars and Thursday-like vocals. Typical…but good. Calico System isn't terribly original, but they're quite an excellent band. Tracks like "Room with a View" and "Girl Named Vegas" make this an altogether good album.
-Chris Guerra

CIRCLE
VAUDVILLE
REFLECTIONS
Yum. Angry hardcore punk from the Netherlands. I always wonder about bands from the Netherlands: if they're from the Netherlands, why are all the songs in English? Except for that question, I can't find anything wrong with this album. It's angry enough, it's hard enough…. Circle reminds me of a Norse Thrice...maybe with a little new-rock styling thrown in—reminiscent of The Vines or The Hives or any of the other "the" bands. Circle is good, but not super-awesome good. Pick it up if you're interested in anything I just said.
-Franny

CIRCLE II CIRCLE
WATCHING IN SILENCE
AFM
Circle to Circle's debut release is as metal as it gets, thanks mainly to the writing team of vocalist Zak Stevens (ex-Savatage) and Savatage main men Jon Oliva and Cris Caffery. As a result, the metallic, majestic spirit of Savatage emanates from WATCHING IN SILENCE. Almost written like a score to a Broadway play, Circle to Circle's anthemic foray into the metal realm gives us some fancy fretwork, a slew of operatic chest-thumping, and an appreciative nod to bands such as Queensryche and Nevermore. While this quintet's semi-progressive metal is not in the same league as Dream Theater, it finds a niche somewhere within the legacy of Savatage and old-school metal like Judas Priest. www.afm-records.com
-Mike SOS

CLEARING AUTUMN SKIES
PULSES & MATTER
STATE OF GRACE
This band serves up a brutal blend of Cro-Mags-style hardcore with punishing metal. Its ostentatious desire to fill each bar of music with the greatest impact proliferates the number of dramatic pauses to the point which the songs seem to jerk forward incrementally. The mix of vocals leaves the backing vocals too far in the background on "Squares", but this is not the case on the rest of the four-song EP. This is a Bay Area band that should be able to make inroads with hardcore and metal audiences.
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

COBRA HIGH
SUNSET IN THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE
COLD CRUSH RECORDS
The oldest member of this band is 23, which means that either they were the most preternaturally discriminating kindergartners in the world, or they spent their formative years insulated from the death throes of radio-friendly alt-rock, pumping the best of the previous decade's music into their fertile imaginations. Some of these tracks mine the post-punk/goth vein that has proved so rewarding (both artistically and financially) for Interpol lately; some ("Awesomeology", for instance) not only trade on the language of the era but sound like a welcome smooshing-together of new wave and late-period prog (think "Owner of a Lonely Heart") at about 200 beats per minute. Somehow, the period beats and keyboard tones that sound contrived on many other throwback releases sound not only at home but positively necessary here.
-Brett McCallon

COLPORTER
SOVREIGN MIND
SELF-RELEASED CD
Colporter is a metal trio whose female-fronted assault can be likened to bands like Kittie, Drain STH, and Otep. On this 12-track offering, Colporter involves itself with heavy guitars and pounding bass lines that would make Korn proud. When topped off with an iridescent female voice, it gives off a Gothic vibe. Even though the outfit has a penchant for pulverizing, there's a strong melodic sensibility—especially in the hooks of the songs—that gives SOVREIGN MIND a well-rounded vibe with the twist needed to stand out in today's musical climate. www.colporter.com
-Mike SOS

COUNTDOWN TO LIFE
TRAGEDY IS SO IRRESISTIBLE
STATE OF GRACE
Just listening to the screaming vocalist on the debut album from Oregon's Countdown to Life leaves me hoarse. The band's sore-throat-inducing approach to hardcore relies on drumming and guitar styles taken from hard rock and heavy metal. Then, just when you think you have the group in your sights, it suddenly breaks left with "Better Off Dead". This song weaves in an indie-rock song like something off Kung Fu Records, contrasting the clearly-enunciated lyrics of that approach to the audio assault more prevalent on the album.
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

CRESTFALLEN
CRESTFALLEN
ROBOTIC EMPIRE
Crestfallen's blast beats were so fast in the opening track "Backlashed" that I actually thought that the CD was skipping. The whole CD follows in the same vein: rushed, chaotic guitars and insane drumming. The vocals were a little too "black-metally" for me, but I still had fun with the EP. There are also two hidden tracks: covers of The Cramps' "Human Fly" and Minor Threat's "Minor Threat". The Cramps cover in particular was a weird choice, but it works.
-Chris Guerra

DAKOTA/DAKOTA
SHOOT IN THE DARK
ARMS REACH RECORDINGS
The debut full-length release from this Chicago prog-rock trio is an experiment in experimentation. The 10 instrumental tracks elicit comparison to legends like Yes, yet are sadly lacking in the emotional punch that an instrumental band needs to put it over the top. The music is technically interesting, but with no lyrics to round out the tunes, a band needs to be as good as Jeff Beck to pull this type of album off. 15 minutes into the album the listener has already forgotten most of what they've heard. There are some great titles to the tracks, such as "Don't Pee in My Bed and Tell Me It's Raining" and "No Matter How Hard I Try…I Never Remember the Alamo", but without lyrics there is no direct association between title and song. This would play well as ambient background music to a mellow party, but until this trio writes catchier tunes or starts singing, this will remain background music. www.dakotadakota.com
-DUG

DANKO JONES
BORN A LION
SIMBA RECORDINGS
This band is already popular in Europe and Canada, and finally someone in the U.S. has decided to distribute this album domestically. Thank you, revelation Records, for bringing us the sounds of Danko Jones. So, what kind of music does Danko Jones play? Well, it's hard-hitting rock music with a dash of Delta blues for good measures. It's amazing how powerful this three-piece sounds. Through catchy head-bobbing rock songs, Danko and company offer up love advice and other commentaries on life. I'm not sure if this is necessarily a feel-good album, but it's a very good album. It's an album that you can't listen to in the background and go about your day; ABOUT A LION demands attention. With how good this album is, I see Danko Jones getting a lot of attention domestically soon.
-Dane Jackson

DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL
A MARK. A MISSION. A BRAND. A SCAR.
VAGRANT
We all loved Chris Carabba at one time, as much as we like to deny it now. This album might be the ticket to reclaim your affection. The new album strays a bit from traditional Dashboard Confessional-ism, but it's impressive in its own right. Now featuring a full band, the songs lack that acoustic-only charm but gain a new energy and fuller sound. Check out such gems as "As Lovers Go" and "Hey, Girl"; and if you cannot do without your traditional Carabba whine, check out "Give Up the Ghost". The album also includes Carabba's traditional redo of a previous song: a new version of "Hands Down" (which is also the album's first single). This is the CD you hate to love. www.dashboardconfessional.com
-tChow

DAVE BROCKIE EXPERIENCE
SONGS FOR THE WRONG
METAL BLADE
Aptly titled and utterly sophomoric, GWAR pulls a Slipknot and strips down sans costumes for Dave Brockie Experience, a cross between Jimi Hendrix and Spinal Tap. This 17-track release is good for a few laughs, a couple of gross-out moments, and a few riffs here and there—and probably is essential for GWAR fans; but otherwise, file in the novelty bin. www.metalblade.com
-Mike SOS

DEADWEIGHT
STROKING THE MOON
ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES
STROKING THE MOON by San Francisco's Deadweight is a masterpiece. That's right: a masterpiece. I have not been this knocked out since I first heard NOTHING SHOCKING by Jane's Addiction. STROKING THE MOON is artistically progressive while maintaining the soulfulness and hardness of rock. Reminding me of the Pretty Things' classic album SF SORROW (only better), Deadweight has a classic hard-rock sensibility guiding modern crunch. Go buy Deadweight's STROKING THE MOON now, immediately. This is it.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

DERITA SISTERS 77
BACK TO NO FUTURE
KOTUMBA RECORDS
For their 19th album, Derita Sisters 77 cover 24 songs from the early years of punk, reworking obscure tracks by bands like The Vibrators, The Clash, Sham 69, and The Damned. But although this four-piece band sounds great (a lot like early X), there's good reason why many of these songs have been overlooked and forgotten: many of them are just a bit too simple musically and lyrically to sustain interest for long. Yet some real beauties do appear, like The Dead Boys' "I Won't Look Back", The Boys' "First Time", and X-Ray Spex' "I Can't Do Anything".
-Stephen B. Armstrong

DICEMEN
JOHNNY WALKER
CRAZY LOVE RECORDS
Dicemen are from Rotterdam and are self-proclaimed "rock 'n' roll to the bone." They play cowboy music that sounds like it would be most effective in an old Western saloon in hell. It sounds like The Stray Cats on amphetamines playing the musical equivalent of a train wreck. Dicemen are the winners of the much acclaimed "Grote Prijs van Zuid Holland!" Whatever the hell that is exactly, who knows?—but it sounds awesome. I wish I'd won it. I love European cowboys!
-chad

DISTURBING THE PEACE: MIDWESTERN HARDCORE
COMPILATION DISC
NGS RECORDS
Like most comp discs, DISTURBING THE PEACE: MIDWESTERN HARDCORE is a pleaser and a cheeser. The five bands featured (Insult to Injury, Johnny Vomit, Dead End Path, Disavow, and The Struggle) are thrashers and come with closed fists. The songs that I loved were Johnny Vomit's "Brain Raper" (which features some cool samples from the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD movies), Disavow's working-class anthem "Stiff", and The Struggle's "Law of the Streets". Unfortunately, The Struggle also has the cheesiest moment, a laughable version of Skid Row's "18 and Life to Go". This disc is an 85%er.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

DOUGHBOYS
LA MAJEURE 1987
DOES EVERYONE STARE? RECORDS
Doughboys are a Canadian punk band from the mid '80s, and they're great!—a Canadian mixture of The Minutemen and Husker Du. If Rhino Records ever does a box-set companion to their NUGGETS box sets except of the punk bands of the '80s who never made any headlines, Doughboys should totally be included on it. I love them with a quarter of my heart.
-chad

DOWN TO NOTHING
SAVE IT FOR THE BIRDS
THORP RECORDS
This Richmond, VA, five-man army mixes Sabbath's warm tones with bone-crushing hardcore. Down to Nothing's message is a common hardcore ideal: don't let 'em get you down; think for yourself. I like SAVE IT FOR THE BIRDS. It's smart and for real. I believe them. My favorite tracks are "The Normal People" and "Who Are You to Say". SAVE IT FOR THE BIRDS is worth every dime. Go get it.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

EMMANUEL.7
MACHINES IN ROUTINE
THORP
I have very little to say about this album. Please take your E-Town Concrete CD and your Madball CD to the kitchen, pour some water in your blender, then jam the CDs in. That's what Emmanuel.7 sounds like—a watered-down version of a big, growly hardcore band. However, I have to give it to Emmanuel.7: they have heart. Although it's loose musically, I'm fairly sure everyone who listens to this album can tell it is not half-assed. Don't actually do the blender thing, though: your mom might get angry.
-Franny

ENVY
A DEAD SINKING STORY
LEVEL-PLANE
Envy segues from brutal hardcore to melodic, emotional rock with ease and aplomb. This Tokyo band has a cohesive style for what may be as rare as hen's teeth: hardcore for headphones. This makes parts of a song excellent for nighttime driving at excessive highway speeds, while the same song can easy the painful break-up of a relationship. So this begs the question: when is the right time and place to put this disc on? I suspect the genre mosaic that is this album will prove interesting and attention-grabbing, but the album will languish in the CD collections of hardcore and indie rock fans who recall it fondly but never find the right time for a repeat listen. A DEAD SINKING STORY seems like two good bands merged into one.
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

ERASER ERRATA
AT CRYSTAL PALACE
TROUBLEMANUNLIMITED
AT CRYSTAL PALACE is an incredibly abrasive album. But in spite of grinding guitar parts and in-your-face vocals, Eraser Errata manages to skank, anyway. Occasionally, this Northern California post-punk group performs and records with Kim Gordon—and the influence of Sonic Youth is hard to ignore (particularly on tracks like "Ca. Viewing" and "The White Horse Is Bucking").
-Stephen B. Armstrong

EVERTON BLENDER
KING MAN
HEARTBEAT
The latest release from reggae's dance-hall master, Everton Blender (a.k.a. Everton Dennis Williams) is a roots-reggae extravaganza that combines Blender's themes of spirituality and support for the downtrodden. The disc is a true crossover disc, with Blender using well-known reggae musicians from Los Angeles and Kingston to put forth his positive anthems. Guest appearances on the disc include Dean Fraser, Robbie Lyn (members of Shaggy's band), and a rare guest appearance by Joseph Hill of Culture. Along with his own biting, proactive lyrics, Blender covers the '60s pop hit "Little Green Apples" and Syl Johnson's powerful "Is It Because I'm Black?". Blender has influenced a huge wave of new reggae artists since his solo debut in '94 with LIFT UP YOUR HEAD, and his newest recording is sure to attract a whole new generation of musicians. This is great reggae from an artist in his prime.
-DUG

EVERY TIME I DIE
HOT DAMN
FERRET
Western New York's Every Time I Die stands out from the usual hardcore screamo outfits. Want proof? Well, for starters, the quintet's vocals are unique, maintaining a sense of ordered chaos and demanding attention, as Keith Buckley's manic delivery teeters between Tourette's victim and tortured soul. The song topics are lascivious and out of character for bands that play this heavy. What other hardcore band has a picture of a lesbian kiss on its album cover and has song titles like "Romeo A Go-Go" and "Pornogratherapy"? And let's be serious, folks: what other hardcore band uses a cowbell (definitely the best use of the cowbell since Motley Crue's "Livewire", by the way)? Pushing musical boundaries tastefully and within its own genre, the 10-tracks that comprise HOT DAMN take the tough-guy mentality and add a bit of depth, making Every Time I Die conceptual geniuses and heroes to thoughtful hardcore fans everywhere. www.ferretstyle.com
-Mike SOS

EYES OF FIRE
DISINTEGRATE
CENTURY MEDIA
Orange County, CA, is known for its punk and nu-metal scenes, yet Eyes of Fire bring a taste of the atmospheric Euro-metal to the skate, surf, and Adidas-wearing contingent with its three-song EP. Swirling guitars (like the ones found in the Opeth-inspired "Hopeless") place this outfit miles away from the familiar sound of its hometown. If you like your metal luxuriously dark, Eyes of Fire is a band you need to connect to. www.eyesofire.us
-Mike SOS

FEAR BEFORE THE MARCH OF FLAMES
ODD HOW PEOPLE SHAKE
RISE
You may have seen this band when they were on tour with Anatomy of a Ghost. Grindcore, anyone? Although most of you just read the word "grindcore" and thought, "UGH," Fear Before the March of Flames is an awesome band. If music can be concise, this is concise music. Everything sticks together nicely and evenly (someone must know what they're doing!), and through this expert organization, it becomes beautiful! This band reminds me of The Number 12 Looks Like You. It's sick, but within the parameters that make music into great music.
-Franny

FIGURE FOUR
SUFFERING THE LOSS
SOLID STATE RECORDS
Figure Four is an angry machine. The lyrics are the cry of a cornered, beaten-down man who doesn't know what to do. I guess vocalist Andrew decided to wail and growl about it. I feel safer knowing that he has an outlet for his pain. The band is thrashing and shredding. I feel it. Figure Four is raging like a motherfucker. With song titles like "Suffocation", Kill and Deceive", and "Poison in Me", maybe you can feel it, too.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

FOREVER IS FORGOTTEN
THE ARCHITECTURE IS STILL BURNING
THORP
I don't like this. I have an aversion to bands whose vocals sound like they are throwing up (except in extremely rare cases). This is not one of those cases. The whole band sounds like it ate some bad sushi...well, except the guitar work. That is awesome. There are some especially sweet and tender guitar parts tucked into this album that almost make me forget the vocals and want to do nothing but gush praise...until there are vocals, and I remember. Note to band's guitarist: please leave band, and find talented singer.
-Franny

FORM OF ROCKET
LUMBER
SOME RECORDS
Form of Rocket is back again with an excellent follow-up to their debut album SE PUEDE DESPEDIR A TODOS. LUMBER is chock full of stinging chord progressions and unique vocal stylings, which make this Salt Lake City band so irresistible. With tracks such as "Sack of Smashed Assholes" and "I Would Sell You for Crack", it's impossible not to be intrigued with Form of Rocket's outside-of-the-box approach.
-Chelsea Hassler

FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES
THE FICTION WE LIVE
VAGRANT RECORDS
It took this album to kick my Killswitch Engage CD out of its permanent spot in my car stereo. I LOVED this album. Not to say it's half as good as ALIVE OR JUST BREATHING, but good nonetheless. Yeah, okay, so there are things I can do without: co-vocalist Fran Mark's sometimes whiny, nasal vocals; occasionally cheesy lyrics that seem ripped from a 15-year-old emo girl's diary; and "Autumn's Monologue", which is an otherwise absolutely beautiful song sung by Melanie Wills from One True Thing that doesn't belong on the album. But hot damn, this album is great! Heavy with killer songwriting, THE FICTION WE LIVE is a must-have for fans of melodic hardcore that like a little emo thrown into the mix.
-Chris Guerra

FURY OF V
TELLING IT LIKE IT IS!!!!!!
INNER RAGE
New Jersey hardcore quintet Fury of V is the type of band you do not want to piss off. They are mean, angry, well-built men who look like they've just gotten out of incarceration; and the music which the band creates reflects the band's image completely. Total tough-guy, beat-down hardcore with its fair share of screaming, yelling, and metallic breakdowns is what this band does best. So unless you'd enjoy your teeth down your throat, get out of its way when the Fury of V posse comes to a stage near you. And for God's sake, be nice to them. They just may spare you. www.innerragerecords.com
-Mike SOS

GENUINE
BURY THE HATCHET
STATE OF GRACE
Genuine (which started in 1997) is a 100% straight-edge band. Composed of members from Botch, Trail, Himsa, Champion, Trial, Left With Nothing, Undertow, and others, the message that this heavy-hitting combination of men is trying to send is that they are drug-free, hardcore, and proud. The new release, BURY THE HATCHET, is 27 songs (which make up their full discography) which promote the sXe couture. Fans of bands such as to Ashes will thoroughly enjoy Genuine's BURY THE HATCHET.
-Chelsea Hassler

GHOST MICE/SAW WHEEL
A SPLIT CD
HILL BILLY STEW RECORDS
This is Hill Billy Stew Records first release, and it's a good one. Both bands are acoustic guitar-based porch music. Ghost Mice is a super wacky duo with a slightly insane notion of harmony. I dig their weirdness. My favorite song from Ghost Mice is "The Devil and My family". Saw Wheel is a more straightforward situation. I dig this band's normalness. I really enjoyed their song "Rocking Chair" and their cover of John Prine's "Paradise". I felt like I was on both of these bands' couch, soaking up the organic creative processes. Good work. Thanks to Hill Billy Stew Records. Good luck.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

GOODBYE BLUE MONDAY
NEXT TIME WE STOP BREATHING
LOUD AND CLEAR RECORDS
On this debut record from Goodbye Blue Monday (a San Diego alternative act that takes its name from a Kurt Vonnegut novel), the influence of Radiohead is more than a little obvious. Working up a fuzzy, abstract mixture of dreamy guitars, electronic distortion, and fragmentary bits of sampled dialogue, the band steers away from mainstream conventions whenever it can. Nevertheless, the music manages to avoid avant-pop excess thanks largely to the strategic placement of dance-friendly hooks and beats. Cerebral grunge may not be for everyone, but fans of the genre ought to enjoy this.
-Stephen B. Armstrong

GORGOROTH
TWILIGHT OF THE IDOLS
NUCLEAR BLAST
Gorgoroth returns in a maelstrom of metal, as this long-running black-metal troupe has put out its most definitive release. From the opening chords of "Procreating Satan", you know you're in for a demonic voyage—and the quartet does not disappoint. Evoking the dark side of life, Gorgoroth's convictions are not shtick: the band's close ties to the occult are quite real, and the music which the band makes echoes the beliefs which Gorgoroth holds true. Be afraid of these virtues, but be more afraid of the durable yet devilish din that this Norwegian powerhouse makes. Traditional black metal hasn't sounded this foreboding since the early days of Bathory. www.nuclearblastusa.com
-Mike SOS

GREY AM
BREATHE ON YOUR OWN TIME
ONE DAY SAVIOR
On BREATHE ON YOUR OWN TIME, Pennsylvania natives Grey AM re-tread the same loud-quiet-loud ground that has already been well traversed by the likes of Thursday, This Day Forward, and Grade. There's nothing inherently wrong with guitar-driven slabs of emo-honest hardcore like "Back Off the Cult" or "Forever Hurricane", but there's nothing particularly spellbinding about them, either. Diehard emo-core fans should eat this shit up with a wooden spoon, but the rest of you are better off with your trusty copy of Thrice's THE ILLUSION OF SAFETY.
-Jason Jett

HOLDEN CAULFIELD
THE ART OF BURNING BRIDGES EP
SURPRISE ATTACK
Crushing hardcore abounds on Holden Caulfield's latest release. This quartet out of West Virginia (who has played with such greats as Brother's Keeper, Hatebreed, and Sworn Enemy) exhibits a definite grasp of the genre. However, they sound better when vocalist Dana utilizes his gloriously high-pitched shriek (which, thankfully, is most of the time), rather than when he goes for more melody, as on "Blindsided" and "Drag The River". However, the music is so strong on these tracks and the singing-not-screeching is only evident for such a short time that it doesn't matter much. It's just that the unyielding screeching on the riotous "Set Phazers to Kill" and the devastatingly heavy "Sorry About Last Night" is much more palatable than the "off" melodies he tries for on the two aforementioned tracks. The band previously put out a self-released CD and are contemplating recording an album in the winter.
-Janelle Jones

HOT POTTY
ONE STEP CLOSER TO BROADWAY
SELF-RELEASED
In the spirit of The Ramones, Hot Potty all have the same exact last name. You guessed it: their last names are Potty. They even get Josh Freese Potty to work on a few tracks. While the band does seem influenced by The Vandals, they have a sound all their own. At times it's fast and aggressive, at times it's rock, and at times it follows the three-chord punk formula. If you like distortion, metallic sounds, The Vandals, and Nirvana, then you'll like Hot Potty. Tracks to look out for include "Sassy Ass", "Atomic Dance Steps", and "Malise".
-Dane Jackson

INDWELLING
AND MY EYE SHALL WEEP
FACEDOWN RECORDS
Formed by former members of Overcome, Indwelling has brought a familiar breath to the Arizona metal scene. AND MY EYE SHALL WEEP is a throwback to the roots of traditional death metal (if there is such a thing). The feverish pace set by opening song "Hymn" continues virtually throughout the entire record, making me want to get up and start my own one-man pit. After the opening track, the record spits and flutters, but generally the tempo and energy of the record stay pretty consistent. The highlight of the record is lead singer Tom Washington's vocals, which made me feel as if I was listening to Hell incarnated in a man's throat—very eerie and totally rad. All in all, AND MY EYE SHALL WEEP is a pretty solid debut...but it leaves a little to be desired.
-Andrew Wietstock

INDYINGDAYS
AFTER THE FIRE
ONE DAY SAVIOR
Indyingdays is the epitome of predictable hardcore. AFTER THE FIRE, their new EP, has complicated time signatures but intolerable vocals. They are very similar to Dillinger Escape Plan—but nowhere near as good. If you don't buy AFTER THE FIRE, you aren't missing anything.
-Chelsea Hassler

INHUMAN
THE NEW NIGHTMARE
A-F RECORDS
Inhuman don't have songs, they have anthems. They play brutal New York hardcore with crazy breakdowns (similar to old Sick of It All). I didn't care much for this album, but maybe that's 'cause I'm from California. If I was from New York, that would probably be a completely different story.
-Chris Guerra

INTHESUN
REVERSED EVOLUTION
EIGHP RECORDS
It's difficult to really put a finger on what genre Inthesun is. There are definitely elements of metal, hardcore, and light touches of emo. Whatever it is, it works for me...at least some of it. Some of the songs are truly original, such as "One Night, This Week" and "Sitting and Driving", which blend hardcore and metal elements pretty well while injecting melodic vocals. However, a lot of the songs on this record are pretty average. A couple of the songs are reminiscent of the mid-'90s alternative scene. The record will get going pretty well, only to slip back into mediocrity on the next track. The best song on the record is the last, "Verse", where Inthesun seemingly gets to where they were headed throughout the whole record. It's somewhat frustrating that they couldn't have brought the intensity of "Verse" into the other songs. At any rate, there is definitely some potential in Inthesun; however, on REVERSED EVOLUTION it is only realized periodically.
-AC Lerok of Philadelphia

IPANEMA
JE SUIS UN BASEBALL BAT VS. SKULL
DOES EVERYONE STARE? RECORDS
Ipanema is the newest band from that famous rocker Wiz...whoever that is. I must have missed him the first few times around. The band's whole bio was a mention of all of Wiz's previous bands. Trumping him up as this established star that we should all respect further validates that Ipanema is a band to be on the lookout for. Well, either way, he's the singer—and the worst part of the band. Other then his nasal, whiny voice, Ipanema is pretty rocking. The rhythm section is awesome!
-chad

IVY'S BUTTERFLY
FACADE
FALL RECORDS
While they have an almost…I'm going to have to go with "Sugarcubes-esque" way of alternating slightly off-kilter female vocals with screaming male ones, Ivy's Butterfly is otherwise a pretty straightforward indie-rock three-piece: they do soft-loud; they do syncopated, tom-heavy drumbeats; they do awkwardness and angst—and they do all of it pretty solidly. At certain points (as in the album's closer, "Robot Generation") they also manage to build a pretty effective sense of tension. Still, not only is there nothing here you haven't heard before, there's very little that you haven't heard played decidedly better.
-Brett McCallon

JOELLE JENSON
?
?
Joelle Jenson, who resides in Las Vegas—a city made up of showgirls, magicians, and alcoholics—needs much more improvement if she wants to impress any of these folk, let alone any scene in Southern California. Personal appearance aside, the album seems to be one giant loop. I don't doubt Jenson is talented, but I do question her singing ability. Out of all the contemporary crap, the track "Lucky" seems like it could appeal to some people—women, maybe?
-Luke Skywalker

JUPITER'S CHILD
SKY'S THE LIMIT
JCJR RECORDS
Jupiter's Child is for the most part lost in a blues-rock hole looking for the perfect long-gone super solo. What bored me silly about SKY'S THE LIMIT is encapsulated by the fact that the group did a super cheesy extended blah blah version of the tired-as-all-living-hell "Sweet Home Chicago". The only moments that did anything for me featured the rapping skills of Justin Roman—but even these moments are fucked into cliché by guitar-god antics.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

KAIJU BIG BATTEL
REDLINE ENTERTAINMENT
What happens when you mix the independent music scene with wrestling, GWAR, and cheesy monsters? Well, KAIJU BIG BATTEL. I was really excited to watch this because it's a nice, fresh take on wrestling, but unfortunately, the wrestling is sub par and gets boring quickly. I know it's probably hard to wrestle in the huge monster costumes, but the wrestling is just plain sloppy. The DVD features four matches, with wrestlers like a mutated can of chicken noodle soup fighting against a club sandwich. Like I said, funny and interesting in theory, but boring in execution. Stylistically, the DVD is trying to emulate Japanese monster flicks, and features match commentary by Louden Obnoxious and Referee Jingi. The only saving grace to this DVD are the funny commercials between matches and commentaries. The Piebald video isn't half bad, either.
-Dane Jackson

KID ICARUS
MAPS OF THE SAINTS
SUMMERSTEPS
This is a remastered reissue of a 1999 album, a home recording done by Eric Schlittler in a dorm room with a primitive boom box overdubbing system. Eric is admittedly inspired by the lo-fi experimentation of Guided by Voices and Chris Knox projects. Some songs bask in a harsh sun of feedback and distortion (e.g., "Laughing Skeletons"), while others display a sad and somewhat psychedelic mood garnered from such damaged pop icons as Roky Erickson, Scott Walker, and Syd Barrett (e.g., "Firecracker Girls").
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

KILLING JOKE
KILLING JOKE
ZUMA RECORDS
This is original guitarist Geordie, original bassist Youth, and original vocalist Jaz Coleman of the incredible Killing Joke doing it as great as ever with rock 'n' roll's favorite guest drummer, Dave Grohl. Killing Joke was formed in London in 1978 and were the prototype industrial band. No one has done it better or with more soul or rage than Killing Joke. I love these guys, and I love this disc. Jaz Coleman is one of the most intense lead singers of all time, and he is on fire here. The entire album is just so so great. Go get this and share the rage with your friends.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

LAIBACH
WAT
MUTE CORPORATION
The newest release from Slovenia's hard-core comic Nazi band is enough to make you choke on your bratwurst and blow heffeweizen out your nose. From the eerie opening track (in which the deep, resonant voiceover mispronounces English words as the "singer/poet" pronounces apocalyptic doom) to the techno/electronica/disco beats to the over-orchestrated choirs, this album has it all. Laiback was formed behind the Iron Curtain in 1980 and has been performing their fascist shtick across Eastern Europe whenever they can avoid being banned. They are part of an art collective known as Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK), which issues its own passports and stamps. Their music is a true Gotterdammerung mix, with every pretentious tune designed to shock and horrify the listener. This is the perfect album to throw on the stereo at any upcoming Oktoberfest party. Don't expect the "Chicken Dance", but you will get 45 minutes of the most hilarious posturing since "Springtime for Hitler and Germany". www.laibach.org
-DUG

LANDING
PASSAGES THROUGH
K RECORDS
Dream pop, that swirl of whispered nuances and echo-drenched guitars that can at its best transport the listener to a very different place, is quite a difficult genre in which to work. Just a bit too much softness, just a bit too little movement, and you can lose the listener's attention. Get a bit too raucous, and the mood is lost. In light of this precariousness, PASSAGES THROUGH is quite impressive. In addition to having the balls to open with a nine-minute meditation (a considerable percentage of which is devoted to subtle, reverb-errific guitar tones that fade gradually into meandering organ lines), throughout the length of the disc Landing is able to merge keeping you riveted with transporting you to areas unknown.
-Brett McCallon

LANDMINE SPRING
ARE WE THE CULPRITS?
LOUSPEAKER
Landmine Spring took its name from a song by the New York post-hardcore troupe Quicksand—and with good reason, as this English quartet's pummeling display of alternative metal mimics much of what was going on in NYC in the early '90s. Mixing garage, grunge, and hints of grind, Landmine Spring's 11-track ode to mayhem is jagged, unrefined, and crushingly heavy (in an Anthrax-meets-Helmet sort of way). Rollicking riffs, thunderous rhythms, and a slight nu-metal vocal attack that, unlike most of the generic stuff today, doesn't sound contrived or sophomoric is what you should brace yourself for upon placing this disc in your CD. www.landminespring.co.uk
-Mike SOS

LA PLEBE
CONQUISTA 21
DESARME SF
CONQUISTA 21 is spirited and upbeat, from the catchy opener "Ya No!" through to finale "Conquista 21" (which just so happens to be the speediest and finest of the six offerings). Described succinctly as "barrio street punk with horns," this five-piece out of the Mission District utilizes quick tempos and frequently throws in endearing group vocals to add to the feeling of unity and fun. The obvious comparison is to Voodoo Glow Skulls, those masters of the maniacal Hispanic ska/punk sound. La Plebe is nowhere near as fast, hardcore, or psychotic as the pioneers of the genre, but CONQUISTA 21 is a valiant effort. The band tours religiously throughout California, and I have no doubt their sets are quite entertaining. Brush up on your Spanish (the only song in English is "Mirrored Floors"), and be prepared to skank.
-Janelle Jones

LOVEHOPEANDFEAR
ROSEEP
STATE OF GRACE
Boringgenericmediocrehardcore.
-Chris Guerra

MALEFACTION
WHERE THERE IS POWER, THERE IS ALWAYS RESISTANCE
G7 WELCOMING COMMITTEE
From the devastatingly aggressive thrash/grindcore and harsh vocals to the insightful, socially-aware, political-minded lyrics (dealing mostly with gross injustices committed by the greedy, unfeeling American government, their unnecessary war and subsequent encroachment of human rights in the name of "a vague terrorist threat"), Winnipeg's Malefaction have got it right on this, their second incendiary album. I don't know what's better: the overwhelmingly brutal musical onslaught or the equally intense lyrics that serve as a true wake-up call to mindless patriots and a rallying cry for those of us who are already on the same page as Malefaction, aware of "the American lie" and "great deceit" (as referred to on "A Cold War for a Cold World" and "The New American Century", respectively). The most affecting tracks, however, must be the impassioned "Faceless Thousands" and the manic "Ongoing Plague", a song about the downtrodden work force.
-Janelle Jones

MARA'AKATE
S/T
ONEDAYSAVIOR
This is 11 minutes of awesome. First of all, the cover art is clever: it's the middle of a red robot with no name or title or anything. Minimalism can be neat, after all. But who cares about the cover? Like I said, this is awesome! Mara'akate has the talent to jam teeth-clenching emotion into nothing but a background drum beat. However, it doesn't stop there—and it's a good thing, too. When everything comes together, this is killingly (is that a word?) striking and an amazing adventure in, as the press release on the band says, "cookie-cutter grindcore."
-Franny

MERCURY TIDE
WHY?
CENTURY MEDIA
Mercury Tide brings us a great album with a sound unlike that of most metal bands around today. The opening/title track of the record offers a sound with clean vocals and some great keyboard work from Dennis Riehle (lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Dick Thurisch's blood relative). Other songs on the album contain riffs that are reminiscent of '80s-style metal (e.g., Metallica and old Twisted Sister). This album is catchy, and a few of the verses are in the vein of Finnish rockers Him: slow, melancholic rhythms and nicely-written vocal patterns. The lyrics in particular on WHY? are touching and pose many questions for our society today. Overall, this very unique album deserves an eight out of 10.
-SupZac

MINDFIELD
BE-LOW
LIFE FORCE RECORDS
This record was given to me hyped as hardcore. THAT it most definitely is not. True, Mindfield's guitars are heavy, but the drums and vocals are fairly weak. But there is much to be said for Mindfield. They aren't hurting for musical talent. I have respect for the work guitar players Rainer Sickler and Marc Zirnsak do on the instrumental track "Mucher No Illores", which is truly impressive. Other than that, Mindfield reminds me a lot of a late-'80s metal band. All in all, BE-LOW is pretty average.
-AC Lerok of Philadelphia

MISERY INDEX
RETALIATE
NUCLEAR BLAST
Formerly known as Brutality, Misery Index showcases Jason Netherton and Sparky Voyles, both ex-members of Dying Fetus. RETALIATE has a lot of grind-metal influences, but tends to get excruciatingly repetitive, with just about every song being structured very much alike. Start with a riff here, add a grind beat there, stop for a second, do it all over again. I guess I was just hoping for a little bit more from these guys, as they've been a part of the American metal scene for years now. "The Great Depression" and "Demand the Impossible" are the two decent tracks on the record, but the rest to me is just drivel. Overall, I gotta say a three out of 10.

-SupZac

MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK
I AM THE MOVIE
EPITAPH
First and foremost, I would like to compliment the sweet insert booklet. It was pretty well done, especially the cover. Next, I would like to make known my appreciation for the tightness of the song "The Future Freaks Me Out". This song rocks my face. Lastly, I would like to praise the band for putting a great album together. "Perfect Teeth" is just another example of their talent. I'll be listening to these guys for many more weeks.
-Luke Skywalker

MOURNINGSIDE
SOME SECRETS ARE BETTER LEFT…
RODENT POPSICLE RECORDS
Mourningside are among that select list of bands who, whether as a public-service announcement for those confused souls who don't read the names on their CD cases or as a result of rampaging ego, lead off an album with a song named after themselves. As it happens, they could have jammed a chant of "Mourningside!" into any of these Misfits-loving splatterpunk tracks and it would have worked equally well. This is not really a criticism, as songs like this almost require a certain degree of cartoony horror-movie imagery in order to sound right...and Mourningside don't disappoint. "Slicked hair and a switchblade knife / Down the drain this red called life [...] Grotesque aberrations of Mourningside / A deceptive likeness of a long-dead friend regenerated to miniature life!" Glenn D. would be proud.
-Brett McCallon

NASTY SAVAGE
WAGE OF MAYHEM
CROOK'D
Florida's Nasty Savage comes from the '80s, when big hair was huge and thrash metal was just getting started. Crook'd Records decided to release some of the band's material—some old, some new, but all basically the same, sounding like it's 1983 all over again. Do you really want to relive 1983 with Nasty Savage? Nah, me neither. www.crook-drecords.com
-Mike SOS

NEHEMIAH
THE ASPHYXIATION PROCESS
UPRISING
Touted in the Uprising description as a blend of Swedish death metal, Florida hardcore, and Scandinavian black metal, I'll admit that Nehemiah sounded to me like some sort of bastard mutt. Turns out the description is pretty accurate: they are a bunch of bastard mutts. I honestly don't know where I am going with this. Straight from Minneapolis, Nehemiah has done some serious roadwork, touring with hardcore headliners Bleeding Through and Everytime I Die. Despite these notches on the old coup stick, Nehemiah is no hardcore band. There are overtones of double bass and throb guitar work. Still, it is much more death metal than I had bargained for, but that's…okay. The band has made a name for themselves in the Midwest, relying mainly on their enormously powerful live presence—all six of these dudes on stage is pretty imposing. Nehemiah sure gives you your money's worth, providing not only solid licks, but 45 minutes on their eight-song full-length debut. It does not disappoint.
-Andrew Wietstock

NEIL HAMBURGER
THE SHOW MUST GO OFF!
KUNG-FU FILMS
The packaging on this DVD hails Neil Hamburger as the funniest comic in America. This is just a ruse, though, because he's really kind of lame. I understand what he's trying to do with his purposely bad routine, greasy hair, and cheesy tuxedo. The anti-comedy thing worked with Andy Kaufman, but it doesn't work with Neil Hamburger. His "jokes" are interspersed between things like his slugging down water from his many glasses of water under his shoulder and clearing his throat. While I see the novelty of watching this DVD once, I can't bring myself to watch it again. I know that Hamburger's alter ego is actually a punk musician, but I'm still confused as to why Kung-Fu would tarnish their SHOW MUST GO OFF! Series with this. The only true enjoyment you'll get from this DVD is watching your friend's reactions to how stupid this guy is. The alternate audio tracks are absolutely great, but these don't warrant more than one sitting.
-Dane Jackson

NERF HERDER
MY E.P.
HONEST DON'S
Nerf Herder's MY E.P. is actually a re-release of sorts. It consists of an EP of the same name previously released on My Records, plus outtakes from the band's recording sessions for AMERICAN CHEESE. If you don't already know Nerf Herder's shtick, it's pretty simple: crude, meaningless-as-they-get lyrics set to sterile, cookie-cutter pop/rock. You either hate this band or sort of like them but don't admit it. Sometimes all you'll have to do is read track titles to tell what you're in for. (Do I really have to tell you what "Love Sandwich" is about?) Nerdcore anthems like "High School" and "Hotel California" smack of the brand of kitsch these guys have perfected: hilarious and brazenly dumb enough to waltz right onto a mix tape, but not nearly worthy of extra spins in your free time. Nerf Herder never try to be anything they're not, though, and for that, you should salute them.
-Davie Kaufmann

NEVERMORE
ENEMIES OF REALITY
CENTURY MEDIA
Nevermore's latest, nine-track opus picks up where the outfit's gem DEAD HEART IN A DEAD WORLD left off, as these Seattle pioneers wheel out their agony for another morose metal masterpiece. Their murky mood and driving tones comprise a unique union of progressive, thrash, and black metal, making ENEMIES OF REALITY as ominous as a brewing storm on a Northwestern afternoon. Technically sound and pristinely performed, if you're on suicide watch, it's probably best that Nevermore's work isn't played around you, as the maelstrom of melancholy metal may be too much to handle. But if you feel that you're up for some dark, atmospheric aggression, allow Nevermore to supply the soundtrack. www.centurymedia.com
-Mike SOS

NEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD
NEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD
A-F RECORDS
First off, this band has a great name. That said, their CD isn't so great. It's not horrible—it's just not great. They play gritty but melodic punk rock that is fast and loud. I think these guys have great potential. Now, I don't know if it's potential to suck or be really good.—it could go either way.
-Chris Guerra

NIGHTRAGE
SWEET VENGEANCE
CENTURY MEDIA
Nightrage's auspicious debut will absolutely blow you away, metal fans. Why? Well, for starters, this sextet is comprised of players from Exhumation, Dream Evil, Evergrey, The Haunted, and At the Gates. If that's not a star-studded line-up, then what is, right? But it gets better, as this monstrous metal outfit combines the aggression and technical wizardry of the upper echelon of the Gothenburg contingent to create 11 tracks of the best melodic death metal you'll hear all year. A must-have for the good old metal collection. www.centurymedia.com
-Mike SOS

NIK FREITAS
HEAVY MELLOW
FUTURE FARMER RECORDINGS
This is the album you should listen to right after you break up with your significant other. It's amazing how you could make a half-hour CD sound like it's two hours. This is the second album from Nik and his friend Aaron Estes, and in the future they might want to think about switching the album up a tad with a little more rock and not so much harmony. If you're a fan of John Lennon and Emitt Rhodes, then this album was made for you.
-Ian Wilkins

NOPE
GETTIN UP THE RENT
BACKLASH RECORDS
Nope is a band composed of cousins Christopher Purdy and Herman Suede from Grand Prairie, TX. Nope plays really lame music I can barely listen to without my ears getting violently ill. My ears literally started to vomit bile while listening to this album. I thought from a scientific perspective this was quite amazing, but when I showed my friends, they just thought it was gross and told me to turn the crappy record off. So, there you go. If you're at all curious, imagine The Dave Mathews Band and J Mascis doing a bunch of Bon Jovi covers at a high school talent show.
-chad

NO RETREAT
PRAY FOR PEACE
DA' CORE
PRAY FOR PEACE is the title of No Retreat's fourth release. More like pray for sanity, as this Pennsylvania four-piece (formed in 1993) cranks out 11 hard-as-hell tunes that are NOT pretty. However, the lyrics, which more often than not concentrate on ugly subject matter and imagery like war ("Pray for Peace") and society's innumerable ills ("Judged By Twelve", "When Will It End?", "$") complements the pure brutality of the apocalyptic drums, driving bass, machine-gun guitars, and rabid vocals that comprise this metallic-tinged hardcore to a T. Still, there are some offerings on the disc that deal with more positive issues, like unity and the idea of being "brothers for life," including the aptly-named "Blood Brothers", "Other Half", and "Talk Is Cheap"—all of which refer to fighting for and protecting each other's honor.
-Janelle Jones

NUMBER ONE GUN
CELEBRATE MISTAKES
FLOODGATE RECORDS
The debut full-length from this Chico, CA, quartet is a hook-laden tribute to all those who've failed, realized their mistakes, and risen back up to start all over again. With songs like "Celebrate Mistakes", "Get Up", and "You Fail Sometimes", the point is driven home, but in a way that offers hope and renewal. Though this is another Christian-oriented group who you would expect to see on Tooth and Nail Records, the band doesn't beat the listener over the head with scripture or didactic lyrics; instead, this band has chosen to beat the listener over the head with some of the finest and catchiest pop-punk melodies around. The vocal harmonies are stellar, and the guitars are perfect. The single "On and On" is a radio-friendly tune that wouldn't sound out of place on any alternative playlist. Unfortunately, most of the small labels—such as Floodgate Records—don't have the big radio connections or payola that gets bands hits on popular stations. Perhaps the only way around this conundrum is for the members of the band to play their hearts out at live shows, stick to their convictions, and have faith that the fans will follow. Number One Gun has done its part with an incredible debut album. Talent such as this will always be rewarded. www.numberonegun.com
-DUG

OCTOBER ALLIED
OCTOBER ALLIED
PHONY RECORDS
Formed in Oakland in 1999, October Allied is twang-rocking the party rock with gravelly vocals and good, solid songs. I hear The Minutemen—and that's high praise. I love the songs "Specialized Times" and "Incandescent Is Better", both of which have very outstanding funky breaks and cool transitions. I do hate the name "October Allied," but other than that small bitch, this self-titled disc is a great, highly-musical disc full of thoughtful lyrics and solid energy.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

OHGR
SUNNYPSYOP
SPITFIRE
Picture this: former Skinny Puppy vocalist Ogre with an album in a neat Digipack featuring a black-and-orange artistic vision that could be storyboards for a Svankmajer film. Wow, that could be really cool. However, this release does not live up to its promise. Ogre seems obsessed with trebly beats that somebody probably told him all the kids are listening to. Combine that with low growl of vocals that lapse into bright melody—that Marilyn Manson formula—and you have an audio vision of post-industrial schizophrenia. This album draws more from the Pigface and KMFDM portion of Ogre's career than the dark malevolence of Skinny Puppy. All this is no accident, though, as Ogre admits to be seeking a new direction...and the album sounds like someone looking for a direction.
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

ON THE MIGHT OF PRINCES
SIRENS
REVELATION RECORDS
On the vivacious SIRENS, hotly-tipped Long Island troupe On the Might of Princes break out of the emo gutter with a work of stunning vitality and unmitigated ire. "Go Fuck Yrself" and "Spit Survival" blow the standard LI hardcore template to pieces. Their buzzkunst guitars and larynx-shredding screams come wrapped in coverlets of delicate piano and the odd bout of hypnotizing melodica. The group is still a few years away from their masterpiece (the next record will be a monster), but for now OTMOP look set to mop the floor with their hard-headed peers. Mark my words: Glassjaw-like levels of adoration aren't more than a fortnight away.
-Jason Jett

PARADISE ISLAND
LINES ARE INFININTELY FINE
DIM MAK RECORDS
Paradise Island (which is a fairly silly name) is Jenny Hoyston, one-woman band. Her approach is experimental and stylistically is all over the place: folk, electronic, rock, and just plain weird. LINES ARE INFININTELY FINE is a good disc. Paradise Island/Jenny Hoyston is a very interesting artist. I see big things in her future. I see her getting better and better.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

PASSENGER
PASSENGER
CENTURY MEDIA
In Flames plus Transport League plus Gardenian plus a Swedish bass player equals what? The all-star metal outfit Passenger, dear readers, whose 11-track release kicks you in the head from the opening of the electric "In Reverse". Citing Helmet and Handsome as influences, the down-tuned riffage and cleaned-up vocals are a departure from the members' day jobs, as the end result can almost be likened to nu metal. However, the post-hardcore sound mixed with these Swedes undeniable Gothenburg roots contain sturdy hooks (check out "I Die Slowly" for a memorable chorus), aggressive rhythms, and massive amounts of groove and soul, making this self-titled side project a triumphant metal release. If you dug NYC's early-'90s metal scene, chances are Passenger will be a favorite of yours, too. www.passenger.nu
-Mike SOS

PATHOS
PERDITION SPLITS THE SKIES
INTOLERANT MESSIAH
Pathos is a Washington-based death-metal quintet who has some killer chops. Adding in flamenco guitars and being classically-trained musicians definitely helps this band stand high atop the heap of the underground metal scene. Bits of grind, black, and death metal are combined on this 10-track endeavor, which showcases two mind-blowing instrumental pieces that display the stunning musicianship here. Despite the typical guttural vocals and general cacophony, Pathos manages to go to the head of the class on musical prowess alone. www.pathoskills.com
-Mike SOS

PAULA KELLEY
THE TROUBLE WITH SUCCESS OR HOW YOU FIT INTO THE WORLD
KIMCHEE RECORDS
The sophomore solo release from indie chanteuse Paula Kelly is a brilliant piece of unpretentious musical magic. Kelly, who played with such bands as the Drop Nineteens, Hot Rod, and Boy Wonder in the '90s, has found a perfect vision of her music in the new millennium. The drop-dead gorgeous young lady has a rather thin voice, but uses her unique musical ability and terrific arrangements to showcase her memorable tunes. These songs are something of an early-'60s throwback, recalling singers like Melanie and Lulu. The one thing that separates Kelley from nearly every other female singer is her ability to play nearly every instrument on the planet. At any one time on this disc she is playing a harpsichord, various guitars, chamberlain flutes, tambourine, piano, and a Hammond organ. Kelley had even put together a rather large orchestra and choir to back her on some of the tunes. Some musicians fail through timidity, bowing to peer pressure and never realizing their true potential. Paula Kelley reaches for the stars with her new album. She winds up creating a disc that sounds as if it were from another planet, if not another (better) universe. www.kimcheerecords.com
-DUG

PISSING RAZORS
EVOLUTION
SPITFIRE
For a band with a name that hurts just to think about, EVOLUTION isn't so bad. A very thrashy version of fellow Texans Pantera would be an accurate description of how they sound. The most impressive thing about the album is Eddy Garcia's drumming, which is without flaw. The guitar work is about what you expect from a Texas metal band, but not so bad. The band has only been around since '98, yet this is their fifth album. It's obvious that they are hard at work, but the songwriting could definitely use some improvement. There's not much more I can say, except that if you like thrashy metal, you might enjoy this six out of 10 record.
-SupZac

POOR RICH ONES
JOE MAYNARD'S FAVOURITES
FIVE ONE, INC.
The ghost of iconoclastic singer/songwriter Jeff Buckley hangs cumbrous over JOE MAYNARD'S FAVOURITES dour incantations and overwrought vocal histrionics. Poor Rich Ones have a penchant for adorning their minor-key malfeasance with washed-over percussion and wispy melodies that sound as though they were plucked straight from Art Garfunkel's nappy white-boy afro. Though they're clearly accomplished songsmiths, the album exudes an everyman sameness that wears out its welcome long before ghastly album closer "Mummy" unravels its final chords.
-Jason Jett

PUNISHMENT
BROKEN, BUT NOT DEAD
THORP RECORDS
Philadelphia's Punishment come with rage, featuring barking demon vocals from the banks of the river Styx. The band is metallic hardcore, and at heart Punishment is pretty typical. I'm not offended or disappointed, I'm just not moved. BROKEN, BUT NOT DEAD is middle-of-the-road hardcome. And that's it.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

RAGE
SOUNDCHASER
SPV
Germany's Rage have been in the metal game for over two decades, as the trio's mighty power metal has thrilled audiences the world over. Back with their 16th album and the group's second conceptual work, the 11-track SOUNDCHASER successfully merges sci-fi and metal. Based on the Soundchaser, the band's "mascot" (who adorns Rage album covers, akin to Maiden's Eddie), as well as an H.P. Lovecraft novel, this album tells tales of despair, loss, and enlightenment (always proper metal fodder, no?) through the eyes of the fictional Soundchaser character. Galloping rhythms, jarring guitars, and whirlwind drumming help flesh out this story and assist Rage in creating another solid notch on the troupe's already dazzling power-metal belt. If you dig Helloween (whose Andi Deris guests here, by the way), Iced Earth, or Judas Priest, chances are you'll flip over Rage. www.spv.de
-Mike SOS

RIFLES AT RECESS
TO WHISPER IN TONGUES
TRIBUNAL
I have to be honest and explain that I could barely sit through listening to this whole record. To me, it just sounded like an Undying rip-off with a little bit more thrash metal in the mix. The songs just seemed to blend right into each other with excessive double-picking and redundant breakdowns. Don't get me wrong: there were a couple of okay tracks (such as "My Apologies to the Walking Dead" and "Gone"), but in general, Robby's monotone vocals just aren't my thing. I'd say the band has potential, but they just didn't make it with this release. Three out of 10.
-SupZac

ROY
TACOMATOSE
INITIAL RECORDS
Brilliantly-titled EP from former and current Botch and Harkonen members' indie-rock side-project is an enjoyable, if ultimately fleeting, experience. They cover all the familiar touch points—Minutemen, Dinosaur Jr., The Pixies—but never fall prey to the pitfalls (watery production, J. Mascis-like guitar wankery, and lyrically bland R.E.M.-isms) that usually sink bands striving to reformulate the classics. In an era when everything strives to be proletarian fare, it's refreshing to hear a record infatuated with the notion of making music, a record that doesn't feel as though it has anything to prove to anyone.
-Jason Jett

SAVES THE DAY
IN REVERIE
DREAMWORKS
It makes perfect sense for this album to go hand in hand with Saves the Day's switch to major label Dreamworks. It is more mature, more honest, and more straightforward than any of their other works. STAY WHAT YOU ARE and THROUGH BEING COOL were albums that were made for greatness in the indie scene; IN REVERIE is made for greatness in the major world. It is not so different that you lose sight of the band you grew up with. Instead, it forces you to see Chris Conley and the rest of the band in a different, brighter light. You'll be happy for them, proud of them. Congratulations, boys! www.savestheday.com
-tChow

SECOND FLOOR DAYCARE
TOIRE WA DOKO DESU KA
SELF-RELEASED
As their name suggests, Second Floor Daycare are juvenile to the bone. Half of the songs on TOIRE WA DOKO DESU KA (sorry, Babelfish couldn't offer any assistance with that one…nor can I) either don't make sense or don't make enough sense about anything important to have you care. The rest of the songs would really appeal to my inner-child of the late '80s/early '90s, if it weren't for their bogus references. Just when I thought "Jenna Von Oy" was going to become my new favorite guilty pleasure (nostalgia is a bitch—it's not my fault), they absolutely kill the mood. Jenna was on BLOSSOM, as was her love interest, Joey Russo. Joey from BLOSSOM is not the same as Uncle Joey GLADSTONE from FULL HOUSE. HE'S the one who used to date Alanis Morissette in real life. Mistakes like these are unacceptable! Sigh.
-Davie Kaufmann

SECRET SPHERE
SCENT OF HUMAN DESIRE
NUCLEAR BLAST
From the opening orchestration of "Rain", Secret Sphere makes its intentions clear: this Italian sextet is here to progressively rock you with a plethora of lush arrangements that intertwine with metallic crunch. Heavier than your average prog-rock outfit, at times Secret Sphere is reminiscent of old-school Queensryche meeting the low-end rumble of Sevendust, especially on the churning "Surroundings". In all, the 11 tracks that comprise SCENT OF HUMAN DESIRE blend the splendor of power metal with the accessibility of American hard rock. www.nuclearblastusa.com
-Mike SOS

SEMIAUTOMATIC
WOLFCENTRIC
5 RUE CHRISTINE
WOLFCENTRIC is an infectious blend of rugged beats and deconstructed hard rock. This electro-punk album from the Brooklyn group has a timely social commentary in the terrorism-affected "This Place Does Not Exist" and the tongue-in-cheek call for a Marion Barry presidency, "Marion Barry". Two standout dub tracks feature Ari Up of The Slits: "Stushpuss" and "Execution".
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

SENSE FIELD
LIVING OUTSIDE
NETWERK
LIVING OUTSIDE is a huge step for Sense Field. It's their first record without guitarist Rodney Sellars, who has been on leave from the band since his daughter was critically injured in a car crash in 2002. Sellars's name pops up in the credits for one song, but the rest of the originals (there's one cover) are a joint effort between vocalist Jon Bunch and guitarist/keyboardist Chris Evenson. Speaking of that cover, it's The Cure's "A Letter to Elise", and Sense Field updates it sans any pretension. (The Cure they are not—but they never thought that to begin with.) Sense Field may not be TOTAL innovators in their game, but over the years, they've hardly gotten enough credit for playing what a million bands are playing now. Their songs are feel-good pop through and through. LIVING OUTSIDE is the soundtrack to a good day. Got a problem with that? I sure don't.
-Davie Kaufmann

SENSES FAIL
FROM THE DEPTHS OF DREAMS
DRIVE-THRU RECORDS
This recently re-released EP by the New Jersey emo-punk quintet Senses Fail is enough to make you want to be in high school again. Drive-Thru Records has made a career out of finding and signing hot young bands like New Found Glory that appeal to the young, the heartbroken, and the ones willing to buy up every bit of merchandise they can find. The original, six-song EP sold a thousand copies. This repackaged re-release sold 12,000 copies in less than two months. With the sophisticated packaging and two additional, it really isn't fair to call this an EP. The album art and liner notes are some of the finest available, while the musical production showcases the hard-edged emotion and raw power of a group on the verge of stardom. Though the world-weary lyrics and tight musicianship seem seasoned, not one member of the band is old enough to buy alcohol in most states. On their recent national tour, the band was greeted by rabid fans all over the country. This is a great record for fans of fellow New Jersey band Saves the Day or New Found Glory. Drive-Thru Records is doing something very right in their recent signings. They already dominate their demographic, and it looks like they've got another big hit on their hands. www.sensesfail.com
-DUG

SEPULTURA
ROORBACK
SPV
The mighty Brazilian metal troupe Sepultura have crawled out from the depths of mediocrity with ROORBACK, a triumphant, 13-track return for the groundbreaking quartet. Finally properly assimilated and kicking serious ass, vocalist Derrick Green comes into his own here, spitting out lyrics with an aggressive conviction not heard since Max Cavalera parted ways with the outfit. The album's music is also as convincing, at times harkening back to the glory days of ARISE, like on the somber crunch of "Bottomed Out" or the fist to the face that is "Leech". It's always good to see a band make a strong comeback after a few sluggish outings, and Sepultura's latest release aptly shows that this band has got the desire and firepower to continue to be a force in the metal realm. www.spv.de
-Mike SOS

SHUTDOWN 66
WELCOME TO DUMPSVILLE
GET HIP RECORDS
This Australian quintet is nailing the sounds of classic garage rockers such as The Troggs, Creation, and The Animals. Shutdown 66 seem to be having the time of their lives, and that is the element in the songs that sells the songs. Also, WELCOME TO DUMPSVILLE is a complete effort. The sounds come across as an authentic product rather than homage. Don't get me wrong: it is homage; but, Shutdown 66's music could be straight-up 1966. In lesser hands this approach could seem phony and or calculated, but here it doesn't. Some of my favorite moments on WELCOME TO DUMPSVILLE is "Pleasantville", "Fink Is the King", and "Shutdown 66". Very cool.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

SICK WATER
AQUA VISTA
MECHANISM RECORDS
I'm not usually a big fan of rock, but Sick Water is rockin'. "Water It Down" is pretty sweet and has kind of an alternative feel, while "So Simple" has a Weezer sound to it; and the lyrics are fairly amusing. I'm actually going to add this album to my collection (as opposed to the other crap I review). To get a better background on the band, I visited their Website. I found it especially clever that in their bio they have links to pictures relating to their history. These guys have a good sense of humor—besides being musically talented.
-Luke Skywalker

SIX FEET UNDER
BRINGER OF BLOOD THREE SONG SAMPLER
METAL BLADE
Six Feet Under is the kind of band you just have to respect. They've been around a while, and they've always been true to the music. This release isn't a lot like their previous efforts; it's a little bit slower and more rooted in earlier death-metal riffs. I wouldn't call it outstanding or groundbreaking, but it's fun, and also probably a good indication of what's to come with their next release. The band's disclaimer talks about how instead of getting offended by the lyrics, you should get offended at how the government is wasting your tax dollars by bombing foreign countries and barring your right to free speech. Who would have thought they'd turn political? Six out of 10.
-SupZac

SKID ROW
THICKSKIN
WORLDSOUND
Back from the '80s come New Jersey second-fiddlers Skid Row armed with a new lead singer (Johnny Solinger) and a bit of a changed-up sound. While the band was always considered one of the harder hair-metal outfits, everyone remembers the boys for "I Remember You", the sappy ballad that shot the outfit into stardom. While there's no standout hit like that on THICKSKIN, what is here is hit and miss, as Solinger does a fine job at vocals—but buyer beware: he's no Sebastian Bach...which could be a good thing, as it allows the band to shift between adult-contemporary, radio-friendly hits tunes mimic fellow statesmen Bon Jovi ("Born a Beggar", "Swallow") and good old-fashioned, pedal-to-the-metal hard rock ("Thick Is the Skin", "Hittin' a Wall", "Down from Underground"). Hopefully for the band, most of its audience will be happy with the multitude of mid-tempo tunes and change of singers—as well as the jacked-up version of its biggest hit, the desperate "I Remember You Two". Basically, half of the album should have old fans clamoring for more, while the other half will have people wondering where Sebastian and the arena-rock swagger went. www.worldsound.com
-Mike SOS

SLANDERIN
A RHUMBA OF RATTLESNAKES, A MURDER OF CROWS
SPLIT 7 RECORDS
Slanderin's press release is awesome. "This isn't the Reverend Horton Heat, " it proclaims. "The [sic] Slanderin go up to the Rev and bitch slap him and tell him to go in the kitchen and make them some three cheese Hot Pockets!!!!!" That's the coolest thing I've heard in a while. This highly enjoyable European psychobilly punk band's music wasn't too shabby, either. And it made me want some Hot Pockets.
-Chris Guerra

SMILE EMPTY SOUL
SMILE EMPTY SOUL
THROBACK RECORDS
I was not a fan of Smile Empty Soul. The lyrics tend to be a little on the clichéd side, with somewhat less-than-creative guitar work. With songs like "Bottom of a Bottle" and "Nowhere Kids", Smile Empty Soul reminds me a lot of POD minus the rap and reggae influences. They're really very similar bands. As far as content goes, the album is pretty heavy on the "curse the world" mentality that was popular a little ways back. This gets pretty stale by about track 5. All in all, the record is pretty weak.
-Andrew Wietstock

SNOISSES/THE SKATEBOARD SESSIONS
CD SAMPLER
SESSIONS RECORDS
Shit, hell, damn, this is the best comp disc that I ever heard. Some really great punk rock by some of the greatest skaters ever. The opener is Clay Wheels' "Skate Radio", featuring Jonny Manak on guitar and vocals. "Skater Radio" (like most of my favorite Ramones) is a direct descendent of '60s bubblegum rock. Very cool. I loved the surf-punk instrumental "El Nino" by Powerflex 5 (featuring Salba on guitar). I laughed my ass off to Bark Hard's "I.C.B.", which stands for "ice-cold beer" and features Todd Prince on vocals and John Gibson on guitar (sounding a lot like Sloppy Seconds). Go, go, go and get this one.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

SNOISSES/THE SKATEBOARD SESSIONS
CD SAMPLER
SESSIONS RECORDS
Shit, hell, damn, this is the best comp disc that I ever heard. Some really great punk rock by some of the greatest skaters ever. The opener is Clay Wheels' "Skate Radio", featuring Jonny Manak on guitar and vocals. "Skater Radio" (like most of my favorite Ramones) is a direct descendent of '60s bubblegum rock. Very cool. I loved the surf-punk instrumental "El Nino" by Powerflex 5 (featuring Salba on guitar). I laughed my ass off to Bark Hard's "I.C.B.", which stands for "ice-cold beer" and features Todd Prince on vocals and John Gibson on guitar (sounding a lot like Sloppy Seconds). Go, go, go and get this one.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

SOUTH
WITH THE TIDES
KINETIC RECORDS
I'll be honest: before listening to South, I already had them pegged as another Coldplay knock-off. The fact that they also hail from the U.K. didn't help. That being said, South blew me away at first listen. Not only are they nothing like Coldplay, but they give Coldplay a swift kick in the ass. Far more creative and original than anything to come out of the U.K. in a good long while, South impressed me with some pretty intricate tracks. Seamlessly blending guitars with rhythmically-imposing drum riffs, string quartets, and even a banjo, WITH THE TIDES is truly a record worth spinning. From the get-go, "Motiveless Crime" sets the tone for the whole record with dark music and some pretty intense lyrics. And the album continues to impress with songs like "Nine Lives" and "Straight Lines to Bad Lands". The record is, however, a little long, as it gets somewhat repetitive towards the end. That not withstanding, WITH THE TIDES is definitely worth picking up. It will not disappoint.

-Andrew Wietstock
SPARK OF LIFE
PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT.
LORELEI
Sing-along vocals and catchy beats are what makes Simi Valley's Spark of Life stand out. PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT. is the first release from the four-piece that "are simply four individuals who are best friends and love to play music." Fresh and memorable, "the spark" (as the band is affectionately called) had gathered a cult following long before being discovered by Lorelei. "The Sounds of Giving Up" is aimed at the more hardcore crowd, whereas "Welcome Home Relax and Slow Down" is more mainstream. PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT. is an album on which SoL shows itself to be a unique and upcoming band.
-Chelsea Hassler

SPEEDBUGGY/BLACK MONDAY
SIX SHOOTER
SPLIT SEVEN RECORDS
These are both great bands. Not only do they stretch the boundaries of punk music, but they aren't afraid to blend other music styles into their punk rock hybrid. Speedbuggy starts things off with six tracks of rock fused with elements of country, honky tonk, punk, and folk music. While the band's original music is great, I most like their cover of Johnny Paycheck's "Take This and Shove It". While Speedbuggy has blatant country influences, Black Monday is more on the punk-rock side of things. This band's music is fast, aggressive, and gritty. While Black Monday has a few country and rockabilly influences, its main sound is a blending of rock and punk. The closest comparison I can come up with is Social Distortion. So, if you like Social D and some great cow-punk music, then this split needs to be in your collection.
-Dane Jackson

STOP IT!!
SELF MADE MAPS
NOVA
Finally a noise band that makes more than just noise. With shouted vocals and insane structure, Stop It!! gives us an example of how noise should be played. If you're into City of Caterpillar or Shotmaker, you're probably going to enjoy the compelling sounds of SELF MADE MAPS. The artwork for the album is an added bonus, with its cut-and-paste look and hidden lyrics. "Amen & Boys", "Remove Your Teeth", and "Beethoven's Funeral" are the songs that make you want to listen to the album over and over. Some of the songs have a Cap n' Jazz feeling to them, but with more of an edge, making Stop It!! a band that's not going to be soon forgotten. With an extra point for the artwork and use of a whistle in "Captain Roboto", they earned themselves a seven out of 10.
-SupZac

STORY OF THE YEAR
PAGE AVENUE
MAVERICK RECORDS
St. Louis's Story of the Year has been around long enough to know the direction music is going. The fact that they are on Maverick Records is no coincidence, as they have taken the emo-core genre to the place where it was bound to go eventually: the mainstream. On their Maverick debut PAGE AVENUE, they have taken the path paved by The Used, utilizing harmony, tons of reverb and other effects, and occasional heavy guitars mixed with light screaming to create catchy songs that you can't help but like. That is why disliking Story of the Year for going mainstream is so hard: some of the songs are pretty good. Songs like "The Hero Will Drown", and "Swallow the Knife" are typical of the genre, but at the same time creative. Story of the Year beats The Used at their own game.
-AC Lerok of Philadelphia

STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO
EVERYTHING GOES NUMB
VICTORY RECORDS
Combining two of New Jersey's finest ska bands from the '90s (namely, Catch 22 and One Cool Guy), Streetlight Manifesto has created a virtual supergroup for this upbeat debut. There can be no clearer indication that ska's not dead than the 12 poppy masterpieces on this disc. With a sound that compares to Reel Big Fish at their best, this band doesn't offer any apologies for the somnambulant ska scene, only 12 very big reasons why this music will always be cool. An incredibly tight and creative horn section combines with some hard-edged guitar and power-packed drums to put a lifetime of emotion into each and every song. Though fads and styles morph at an alarming rate in today's hyper-fast computer-game world, great music is always relevant. This album is great music by some great musicians and deserves to be heard. www.streetlightmanifesto.com
-DUG

STRIPSEARCH
STRIPSEARCH
MAGNA CARTA
The hard rock/prog orgy of instrumental tunes that is this album comes from an unexpected trio: drummer Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, The Vandals), Michael Ward (The Wallflowers) on guitar, and bass courtesy of Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Eminem). Featured heavily is guest Jason Freese on saxophone. The result is like King Crimson crossed with James Change and The Contortions. It is unusual and unexpected rock improv that is also heavy, almost foreboding. The music seems to lack cohesion and a precise architecture, but this is very promising as a debut.
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

SUPERCHUNK
CUP OF SAND
MERGE RECORDS
The third singles and rarities compilation from this Chapel Hill quartet is a must-have for any of the rabid fans of this indie supergroup. While the band's musical output for the 14 years they have been together is akin to Isaac Asimov's authorship of 200+ books, most of the band's releases weren't really "releases" at all, as the majority of Superchunk music is released on 7" vinyl,. live tapes, music for commercials, or pretty much anything hard to find or purchase. This double-CD set is loaded with gems, from four previously-unreleased tracks to dozens of obscure and impossible-to-find demos. There is a great liner description of each of the songs, where the members of the band alternately talk about how they don't remember a song, hate a song, or are totally embarrassed that they ever recorded it. The freewheeling, Buzzcocks-style rock on this album may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you consider yourself an indie aficionado, you'd better buy this one just to keep your credibility intact. In the process, you're sure to find some pretty great tunes—along with the embarrassing ones. www.mergerecords.com
-DUG

THE A.K.A.S
WHITE DOVES & SMOKING GUNS
FUELED BY RAMEN
This album kicks ass. It's so good it might hurt your synapses. The A.K.A.s debut album is by far the best I have heard all month. They are pure punk, as they bash everybody: corporate big-wigs, state assemblies, and even good old-fashioned cowboys. Mike Ski's vocals sound a bit like Monkey's from The Adicts, and The A.K.A.s drummer Bob Williams will keep your head bobbing for weeks. There is nothing bad about this CD at all. The lyrics will make you think, Lukas Previn's guitar riffs will make you shout...hell, even the album's cover art will trip you out. If you like punk and are not satisfied with what's out there, then this album will surely turn that frown upside down.
-Ian Wilkins
THE ATOMIC MEN
BOMB SHELTER BOOGIE
SELF RELEASED
The Atomic Men is an Orange County surf-rockabilly band with lots of cool and style. I love the graveyard angle on most of the lyrics. So damn cool. There is a real B-movie feel on BOMB SHELTER BOOGIE. This is a fun listen that'll make you wanna dance. Some of my favorite songs are "(Do the) Atomic Stomp", "Ichupacabra", and "She's Haunting Me"—though the entire disc is aces. Surf's up baby. Let's rock!
-H. Barry Zimmerman

THE BLACK WATCH
VERY MARY BETH
STONE GARDEN RECORDS
The Black Watch has been around for more than a decade in one form or another, and both the professionalism and acumen derived from all that time playing music are on display in VERY MARY BETH. On the other hand, this whole affair has the sound of a band that's getting worn out. While some tracks are able to generate energy simply through an up-tempo beat and flailing guitar (e.g., "There Must Be Something Wrong"), the whole effort has a certain sense of "been there, done that," a world-weary, by-the-numbers approach that tends to distance the listener somewhat. Still, lead singer John Andrew Fredrick knows his way around a pop melody, and the current incarnation of the group plays with skill and nuance. If you're in the mood, this album can be a comfortable stroll through a familiar scene; if you're not, it may grate a bit.
-Brett McCallon

THE BLED
PASS THE FLASK
FIDDLER
On this three-song CD sampler of their debut album PASS THE FLASK, Tucson, AZ's The Bled ofer some impressive post-hardcore, mixing heavy metalcore with lush melodies, making for some dynamic soundscapes. Energetic and discordant, all three tracks are packed with aggression and sheer emotion, from singer/screamer James Munoz's vocals, the unrelenting and complex guitar parts, and pummeling drums. There are even moments that stray (somewhat) from the characteristic brutality: "The Sound of Sulfur" hints at an underlying vulnerability, as Munoz's vocals oscillate between the normal screams that engulf the disc to actual singing enmeshed in equally emotive, beautiful instrumentation in between bludgeoning breakdowns—which shows the band has range. This idea of variety is also apparent in the slight disparity between the explosive opener "You Know Who's Seatbelt" and the softer, more intricate closer "Spitshine Sonata".
-Janelle Jones

THE BREAK/LET IT BURN
SPLIT EP
DOGHOUSE RECORDS
Two of New Jersey's most popular punk bands join forces and contribute three songs each on this split disc. The Break's three songs on this tune are a follow-up to their debut, self-titled full-length. The band's music is a hardcore hybrid that often verges on screamo. The moody, introspective rock ballad "Alone with You" showcases the power and emotion of the band at its best. The second half of the EP is by Let It Burn, a retro-rock outfit that calls up comparisons to such '70s powerhouses as AC/DC and Sweet—with a hard-ass punk spin thrown in for good measure. The vocals have an amazing early-rock sound, while the music is fast, furious, and anthemic. One of their songs, "Guzellugh (Celebration of the Sun)", has the distinction of being the only song ever dedicated to the city Den Haag. This EP is a good taste of two promising East Coast bands. Though it will be issued on 12" vinyl, it should probably just be given away at record stores, as it leaves the listener wanting more from both bands. www.thebreakpage.com and www.letitburnonline.com
-DUG

THE BRONX
S/T
FERRET MUSIC
Southern California's The Bronx is proud of the fact that seven out of the 10 tracks on their self-titled sophomore release were recorded in a live setting. Aside from that, the quartet has produced an album that successfully crosses borders between punk, hardcore, and The White Stripes-esque rock. According to the band, the songs "I Got Chills", "They Will Kill Us All", "Cobra Lucha", and "Gun Without Bullets" were written out of frustration due to friends dying, lack of money, and life treating them poorly. The emotion on the entire CD is incredible, the live recording only adding to the album's excellence.
-Chelsea Hassler

THE CHEATS
CHEAP PILLS
DA' CORE RECORDS
The Cheats sounds like the sort of band a fraternity might hire for a Saturday night keg party. The beats are fast, the lyrics tend to be sarcastic, and the songs throb with an easy, simplistic violence that appeals to people when they're drunk. But music that goes well with beer tends to sound flat and monotonous when you're sober—and such is the case with a lot of CHEAP PILLS. However, the album's last track, an anthem called "Young and Dumb", kicks ass thanks to the presence of a pretty decent melody.
-Stephen B. Armstrong

THE COLLAPSE
THE COLLAPSE
INFERNAL RACKET RECORDS
The Collapse play fairly good pop/rock. The band has sort of a Taking Back Sunday sound to them, but less intense. "Audible Sigh" sticks out as one of the better tracks (with a catchy chorus), followed by "Try", which is equally fun. I think they would be worth seeing if they made it out here from Philadelphia.
-Luke Skywalker

THE ESCAPE ENGINE
CELEBRITY ROLE MODEL
FIDELITY
This record has been hyped within just about a couple of inches of its life. That's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, The Escape Engine show a great deal of promise. CELEBRITY ROLE MODEL takes cues from bands like Finch and The Used, but steers clear of the pop firepower behind their respective hits. Of course, when hardcore fans try real hard to emulate the tricks their heroes pull, something's bound to go awry. In this case, it's an overdose of lyrical venom, the after-effects of which are a couple of awkward phrases that might just make you go "Eww:" ("We will encapsulate our eyes"?) It's a shame one of their finest moments comes in "Transparent". It's just an interlude, yet the broken piano is the perfect guide for singer Dom Lettera's voice. Could it be that The Escape Engine are afraid to be a type of band different from that which they set out to be as they were just picking up their instruments? Sometimes you won't know what they're making such a fuss about, or why, but it's still a fun, if unspectacular, listen.
-Davie Kaufmann

THE EVERYOTHERS
THE EVERYOTHERS
HAUTLAB MUSIC GROUP
We are now in a swing of revival rock. Once again we are getting sick of all the gimmicks and other stupid shit that always takes over music. It started this time with bands like The Flaming Sideburns and The Murder City Devils, and now it continues with The Everyothers. The Everyothers take rock 'n' roll back to where it was, back to the days of Bowie (who is their number one influence—and does it ever show!). The music is pretty good. "Whatever You Want" and "Go Down Soon" both reflect the Bowie influence, bringing forth images of Ziggy Stardust in full regalia. However, songs like "Surprise, Surprise" and "Ticket Home" definitely have the rhythm and feel evocative of the other revival rockers. All in all, this self-titled release is pretty sound. Lead singer and guitarist Owen McCarthy has a pretty good voice, which fits in well with The Everyothers' late-'70's sound. This record is definitely worth some listening time.
-Andrew Wietstock

THE FAUX
SELF-TITLED
TARANTULA RECORDS
Blessed with outrageously gaudy artwork and steeped in the ongoing elektro-punk movement that counts everyone from The Rapture and Peaches to I Am Spoonbender and Hint Hint among its ranks, The Faux's self-titled mini-album is a keyboard-soaked time warp that plants its listener deep within Human League and Flock of Seagulls territory. Bucketfuls of vocal FX and bleeding og synths hold tracks like "Cold and Mechanical" together like duct tape, their macabre ambiance and stuttering vocal hiccupping making them the cold-hearted heir apparent to Glass Candy & the Shattered Theatre's icicle-punk empire.
-Jason Jett

THE FLASH EXPRESS
INTRODUCING THE DYNAMITE SOUND OF THE FLASH EXPRESS
HIT IT NOW! RECORDS
The Countdowns was a band that backed risqué R&B shouter André Williams. Brian Waters of The Countdowns is here on vocals and lead guitar, giving us some rock 'n' soul that would certainly earn Mr. Williams's blessing. Waters takes that R&B energy into a rock direction ending up with an MC5-like finished product, but more rhythmic. This is an exciting and energetic debut.
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE FORCES OF EVIL
FRIEND OR FOE?
SELF-RELEASED
This is a ska record. That says a lot right there. It also has a lot of gratuitous f-bombs and pointless lyrics. That also says quite a bit. If gratuitous ska is your scene, then The Forces of Evil is definitely for you. Songs like "Angry Anthem" and "Go to Hell" are pretty self-explanatory, but set to ska it's just confusing.
-AC Lerok of Philadelphia

THE GREAT REDNECK HOPE
'SPLOSION!
THINKER THOUGHT RECORDS
With The Locust on the high-visibility Anti, it would seem progressive noise rock is gaining widespread appeal. If that is true, the future could be bright for this group's blend of clamorous noise rock, sound bites, and unexpected side trips into brief melodic episodes. The arty approach to apocalyptic rock recalls legendary '90s Texas project Angkor Wat.
-Tom "Tearaway" Schulte

THE HIDDEN HAND
DIVINE PROPAGANDA
METEOR CITY
The Hidden Hand is a stoner-rock trio who boast the mighty Wino among its ranks. Enough said? Should be, as Wino's gifted guitar work guides The Hidden Hand through 10 tracks of simple, sturdy songs that plod like drug-laden Sabbath, groove like a slowed-down Kyuss, and rock like nothing else Wino has ever done. Check out the earth-shaking groove on "Tranquility Base" or the massive guitar tone of "Sunblood" for further evidence that if there were a Mt. Rushmore of American rock, Wino's likeness would be quite featured there. A must for all fans of the much-maligned stoner rock. www.meteorcity.com
-Mike SOS

THE KINISON
MORTGAGE IS BANK
FEARLESS RECORD
This album sucks. MORTGAGE IS BANK is honestly one of the worst albums I have ever heard. I it was torture to have to listen to the whole thing. Their lyrics sound like Limp Bizkit on crack, and lead singer Mike V. hits high notes only dogs could hear…for the entire album. It is a mix of rap anthems, screaming, and guitar changes that make no sense. Next time you commit some horrible sin, like murder or necrophilia, instead of saying 20 million Hail Mary's, just listen to this album twice...no, make that once. There is no sin THAT horrific.
-Ian Wilkins

THE LOAD LEVELERS
BARNCORE
DMG
The Load Levelers mix DELIVERANCE with FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH and come up with a musical concoction that can best be described as hillbilly hardcore. If AC/DC hailed from West Virginia, this would be their sound. Picking and grinning and picking up change, this Washington-based quartet features members of Zeke and Holy Terror, so you KNOW this outfit has chops. With odes to flatbed trucks, sex with underage girls, whiskey dicks, and two-stepping, these outlaw punks are ready to assault your livestock and female family members with their Southern-fried punk-rock fricassee. www.theloadlevelers.com
-Mike SOS

THE MOOMAW COLLECTIVE
KISS ME RED
REVELATION RECORDS
The debut album from Nathan Moomaw's newest project is a lo-fi folk record with hi-fi ambition. The raw emotion is evident in his angst-ridden, heartfelt pleas for love and respect. Unfortunately, Moomaw takes the folksy vocals two steps too far and into the netherworld of off-key vocals. As if he'd made an attempt to match the uneven vocals, Moomaw occasionally also blows the simple folk guitar riff. There are some nice moments on this album, but on the whole the disc is just too spotty to be something that would get a regular rotation in someone's stereo. The acoustic guitars and percussive drumming can be a nice sound if used wisely. On its next disc, The Moomaw Collective should collect their thoughts, collect about four times as many songs, cut out 3/4 of them, and end up with a decent album. www.moomaw.info
-DUG

THE NEAL POLLACK INVASION
NEVER MIND THE POLLACKS
THE TELEGRAPH COMPANY
This is not the album you want to buy if you are one of those people who likes to blast some music on the way to work; but if you are the type of person who likes to sit in a room with velvet paintings, black light, and some of that wacky tobacco, well, then this is right up your alley. I'm not really sure what to make of the CD. Is it music? I guess so, in a strange way. It's more like poetry to a beat. I was trying to figure out who I would compare him to—maybe Neil Young singing with The Ramones. If you stop to really listen to what Neal is saying, then it gets a little depressing, because this guy hates everything. Some of his lyrics don't make any sense...but then again, I guess poetry doesn't have to.
-Ian Wilkins

THE NEW BREED
PORT CITY REBELS
THORP RECORDS
This Canadian five-piece pub-rock band is a rocking good time for all. PORT CITY REBELS is packed with great energy and sweet sing-along choruses. The New Breed is drinking and fighting and having a jolly old time. The highlights are "Sons of Halifax", "Born Against", and a great male-bonding anthem, "Me and the Boys". Order a pint, sing to your mates, and turn up The New Breed.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

THE QUAKES
LAST OF THE HUMAN BEINGS
ORREXX
Why, it's rock 'n' roll! And it's…slow! Wait a second. It's SKA 'n' roll. Sorry about that. This reminds me of something you might hear in the background of a hotel bar maybe like 30 years ago. It's slow, non-threatening music you can get quietly drunk to. I waited this whole album for The Quakes to let go and rip into their music, but nothing ever came. It's the same octave for the whole CD! No experimentation, no cool guitar solos, no interest. No wonder ska went out of style.
-Franny

THE REMEDY SESSION
SELF-TITLED
RECOVERY
The Remedy Session sound a whole lot like the band their bassist's husband drums for…perhaps you've heard of them: they're called Dashboard Confessional. It's the same blend of folk, rock, and pop, all tied together by a cute little crush on dissonant, epic guitar sounds. Not that this is flat-out copycat material, but the similarities are certainly there. The Remedy Session's woozy groove is always tasteful enough, but only sometimes challenging and exciting. Bassist/vocalist Lori Marsh provides sparkling harmonies that (with apologies to lead vocalist Chris Polito—he tries) fade away just as you start to think they deserve to stand on their own. "I don't need to hear your voice to hear the lie," Polito sings in "Starting Over"—one of a handful of star moments that make you love a record that has an equal number of shortcomings to match such heights.
-Davie Kaufmann

THE SABIANS
SHIVER
THE MUSIC CARTEL
Back in the early '90s, lead singer Justin Marler left the metal band Sleep to spend seven years training to be a Russian Orthodox monk. After leaving the monastery, he decided to get back in to music with former Sleep drummer Matt Hakius. They formed The Sambians in 2000 and spent the next two years perfecting their sound, as well as getting there band line-up just right. Shiver has sounds that seem to have been influenced by bands such as Tool, Chevelle, and even System of a Down's Middle Eastern overtones. Shiver is the follow-up album to BEAUTY FOR ASHES, and it's due to be released in late September of this year.
-Ian Wilkins

THE SPIDERS
GLITZKRIEG
ACETATE RECORDS
GLITZKRIEG is a perfect rock album, artistic ideals rolling on enormous balls. I love this disc. The Spiders, a four-piece, Austin band, is a fantastic mixture of glam-era Bowie, Sabbath, and Queen. A dozen textbook rocking songs designed to rock you into sweet rock heaven. There is no highlight tune, no single...the entire disc is the absolute shit. Run, don't walk—get GLITZKRIEG now.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

THE STAR SPANGLES
BAZOOKA!!!
CAPITOL RECORDS
This debut CD from The Star Spangles is a relief from all the crap that's being played on the radio nowadays. They have a punk sound that can only come from the '80s—which is amazing, because the members were all in diapers back then. The album was started when they were all in their late teens and finished in the bedroom of The Ramones producer Daniel Rey. Ian's voice is amazing on the song "I Live for Speed", the instrumentals on this album are original, and it's more than obvious that this band will be on the radio and in all your record stores before the end of the year. My recommendation is to go out and buy this CD, as it's always nice to be the cool kid on the block…for at least a couple of weeks
-Ian Wilkins
THROWDOWN
HAYMAKER
TRUSTKILL RECORDS
Throwdown is making the perfect music for skanking, moshing, or fist-fighting. HAYMAKER (Throwdown's third full-length disc) is heavier than elephant nuts. Lead vocalist Dave Peters is an angry man who seems to enjoy using the word "fuck" a lot. He is obsessed with standing up for yourself and taking no shit. I definitely hear an influence by Pro Pain on the overall attack of Throwdown, but I wouldn't say that Throwdown is a ripoff group. Some of my favorite songs on HAYMAKER are "You Can't Kill Integrity", "Declare Your War", and "Hate for the Weak".
-H. Barry Zimmerman

TOKYO ROSE (NJ)
(REINVENTING A LOST ART)
SIDECHO RECORDS
This is a pretty good collection of radio-friendly/MTVish, pussy pop 'n' punk rock. But the title of this album, (REINVENTING THE LOST ART)—in parentheses, no less!—what shameless pretension. Tokyo Rose (NJ) is a good band for what it is, but the music is as original as a turd in a punch bowl. That being said, (REINVENTING A LOST ART) features good, edgy tunes with occasional bursts of solid energy.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

TRANA
WEIRD WORLD
LAKE SAMM
Trana's WEIRD WORLD isn't as weird as the title suggests, as this Seattle-based alt-metal outfit could be likened to newer Queensryche or Live, as there is a penchant for heavy guitars, hooky choruses, and deep, meaningful lyrics. Throwing in some tribal beats, world-music flavor, and spacey effects (such as the ones in the Middle Eastern-tinged "Faith") help Trana stand out a bit. Yet, the 10-track disc is otherwise unflashy and basic, as the songs generally hover in the rock atmosphere without really breaking out into anything particularly memorable. If you like gritty rock with a bit of a somber tone, WEIRD WORLD fits the bill...but don't expect much else. www.trana.net
-Mike SOS

TRAPDOOR FUCKING EXIT
DEVIL'S EGG EP
NO IDEA RECORDS
You have got to love a band that has got the word "fucking" in the name and the "Devil" mentioned in the disc title. This is yet another cool, rocking band from Sweden. My only beef with this four-song EP is that the vocals are not promintent enough in the mix. Trapdoor Fucking Exit's sound is dark and chaotic, with good multi-textured breaks and well-thought-out arrangements. I can't wait for the full-length disc (coming soon). Rocking.
-H. Barry Zimmerman

TREEPHORT
BUY THIS ALBUM OR THE TERRORISTS WIN
BRAND NAME RECORDS
I am so glad that Steve Perry has become the joke I always knew he was. It's something that becomes very evident when listening to BUY THIS ALBUM OR THE TERRORISTS WIN. This record is pretty damn funny. Treephort begins by openly mocking the scene in "Scene Card", claiming that it's just another trend, that no one is unique in the sea of black T-shirts and tight jeans. They go on to poke fun at Jesus "Chrizzist", Michael Jackson, and "Steve F-ing Perry". There's really not much else to say, other than that I laughed. This band is not asking you to think.
-Andrew Wietstock

TREVOR LISSAUER
TRANSIT PLAZA
HAPPY FROWN
From 10 seconds into this album to the very end, I had a smile fixed on my face. The songwriting and lyrics might not be anything revolutionary, but it's just so damn catchy. There are obvious influences of The Beatles, Chris Isaak, Elliot Smith, and David Bowie here, contributing to a wonderful pop sound with great acoustic guitar work and jazzy bass lines. Lissauer's vocals are smooth and pleasant, adding to the beat that just makes you bounce your head from side to side while the album is spinning. Not bad for a guy who's also an actor (as opposed to the likes of Russell Crowe and Jennifer Love-Hewitt). So if you like easygoing tunes, be sure to look out for this record. Eight out of 10.
-SupZacTURBONEGRO

SCANDINAVIAN LEATHER
EPITAPH
If you took The Village People, threw in The Clash, and then added a bit of Suicidal Tendencies, you would have Turbonegro. Started over 15 years ago, Turbonegro have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic artists, including Dave Grohl, The Beastie Boys, Jello Biafra, and even Metallica. Their new album SCANDINAVIAN LEATHER is a tribute to no one. It stands up on its own and will take control of your life if you let it. It's not punk and it's not rock. In fact, it's just not right. This is the type of music that your mother doesn't want you to listen to—which is what it makes it so great. The groovy thing about this album is that there are no two songs that sound the same, switching it up enough to keep you wondering what is next. SCANDINAVIAN LEATHER is in record stores now, so go buy a copy and piss of your mom.
-Ian Wilkins

ULTIMATE FAKEBOOK
ELECTRIC KISSING PARTIES
LAW OF INERTIA
According to Ultimate Fakebook's press kit, they are already famous and on MTV and everything. Well, I wouldn't know, and I've never heard of them. I guess they've toured with The Get Up Kids and Reggie and the Full Effect...but I wouldn't know about that either. Whenever I hear anything about those bands, I just sorta yawn and turn my head and walk away. So if you know who those bands are, then you know exactly what Ultimate Fakebook sound like—and you don't need me to tell you. But just in case you don't: THEY SUCK!
-chad

UNDERMINDED
THE TASK OF THE MODERN EDUCATOR
SELF-RELEASE
Hey, Underminded, you owe me 22 minutes and 14 seconds of my life back, which I wasted listening to your terrible band's first (and hopefully last) EP. I'll be looking for my minutes in the mail.
-Chris Guerra

VARIOUS
ATTACK OF THE HOT ROD ZOMBIES
SPLIT SEVEN
Haunted by the ghosts of Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, this death-driven compilation of rockabilly tunes bears repeated listening very well. Blending honky-tonk, punk, and metal, most of these creepy-crawly numbers sound like they're ready for some sock hop in hell. There are a few ballads, however, that twist and writhe with a menacing sort of sweetness. "Eternal Night", for instance, is as plaintive as it is evil; and Speedbuggy's "Time to Burn", an alt-country blues, moves along as smoothly as the tears that fall from a pretty girl's eyes.
-Stephen B. Armstrong

VARIOUS ARTISTS
CORE-UPT 3:16
CORE-UPT RECORDS
This 24-song compilation from Core-Upt Records is a fast, ska-tinged collection of rock songs that never lets you catch your breath. With contributions from well-known bands such as Jeffrey's Fan Club, Big Wig (though I'm not sure if they meant Bigwig or a totally different band, as both bands are mentioned in the liner notes), and The Ziggens—as well as a host of tunes from lesser-known names, the Canadian label has put