Spotlights are part of a legion of bands (see also: Holy Fawn, Niights) who take their shoegaze and post-metal influences beyond the My Bloody Valentine and Deftones aping of their peers to create something they can truly call their own. Their last album Love & Decay made my Top 20 list last year, so naturally … Continue reading Spotlights – We Are All Atomic EP Review
Several years ago I had the pleasure of seeing Crowbar open for Carcass. While I was a much bigger Carcass fan at the time, I was floored by both bands' performances. They're on different ends of the subgenre spectrum, but in the moment the booking made sense. However, the thought didn't occur to me until … Continue reading Beggar – Compelled To Repeat Review
Katie Crutchfield, a.k.a Waxahatchee, brings us a serious Album of the Year contender with her latest project, Saint Cloud. In her most stripped-down work to date, Crutchfield takes influences from folk, country, and Americana to create a refreshing expansion to her sound. The lyrics throughout Saint Cloud offer vivid imagery of open fields, big sky, … Continue reading Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud Review
"Progressive metal" can be a loaded term. On one end, you could be in for some engaging, envelope-pushing music. On the other, you'd be hearing dudes with gauged ears ripping off Meshuggah and Tesseract. While I can't speak to the state of Vancouver band Neck of the Woods' ear piercings, I can say their new … Continue reading Neck of the Woods – The Annex of Ire Review
The fourth full-length album from Best Coast, Always Tomorrow, finally arrives 5 years after their last project, California Nights. While that album did not reach the same heights in the charts as their debut or sophomore efforts, it was, in my opinion, their best album to date. It showed a more developed sound and deeper … Continue reading Best Coast – Always Tomorrow Review
Splid is sort of a pivotal moment for Kvelertak. It's their first album in four years, and first with new singer Ivar Nikolaisen and new drummer Håvard Takle Ohr. Given these circumstances and the fading spotlight the band once had in the early 2010's, this album is a test of whether Kvelertak can still remain … Continue reading Kvelertak – Splid Review
Despite the name, The Keystones are not from Pennsylvania, rather, they're a garage rock band from Waukesha, Wisconsin. They're preparing for a Spring EP list, and have a new single "WLVS" coming out February 24th.The song's main riff is killer. You could almost mistake it for a Rage Against the Machine riff, but it's used … Continue reading The Espresso: a quick review of The Keystones’ new single “WLVS”
