Invisible Oranges

My review of Isis’ In the Absence of Truth is up at Stylus. The NY Times has also reviewed this album; the critic has the challenge of describing the album to the general public. Thus, he paints with extremely broad strokes. It would be futile for him to reference Neurosis and Godflesh as I did. […]

Since I recently reviewed Fuck the Facts‘ Stigmata High-Five here, I thought I’d revisit 2002’s Backstabber Etiquette. If Stigmata is a well-oiled machine, then Backstabber is a crazy, unhinged beast. This is the band’s first album with Mel Mongeon, and while she doesn’t have the control she has now, her vocals here are amazingly feral. […]

My interview with Relapse Records artist Dysrhythmia is up at Stylus.

Sjuklig Intention (on Eerie Art) is a split from Swedish black metal bands Dimhymn and Hypothermia. Dimhymn does three tracks, while Hypothermia turns in two for a total of almost 41 minutes. Despite differing approaches, the overall vibe is gloriously dark and depressing. Dimhymn is a duo that includes Ondskapt’s Nattal on vocals, guitars, and […]

If YouTube is any indication, Sepultura’s “Refuse/Resist” holds a strange fascination for children. Exhibit A is a video showing two brothers playing the song. I’d guess that the drummer is about eight years old, and the singer/guitarist is about six. The latter is playing a guitar that’s practically taller than himself. He’s also wearing a […]

The Mindless and Complete Stain (on Good Enough for the Escape) is the debut EP from Portuguese band The Ladder. It’s rough around the edges, as most debuts are, but it’s quite creative and exploratory. I’d be surprised if the band doesn’t find more widespread recognition soon. The Ladder’s sound is a little hard to […]

My dual review of Fuck the Facts’ Stigmata High-Five and Landmine Marathon’s Wounded is up at Stylus. You can read it here.

“Oakland is a hard clique, if you don’t know someone there you’re a mark waiting to get got.” So begin the liner notes by Scott Kelly (Neurosis) to Eldopa’s The Complete Recordings (on Tee Pee). Despite being perhaps the most down-to-earth, racially diverse city in the Bay Area, Oakland has unimaginable poverty that gentrification hasn’t […]

In terms of melody-to-brutality ratio, Dutch death metallers God Dethroned always struck me as kind of like Arch Enemy without the charisma. Their back catalogue was well-played and enjoyable enough, but nothing ever really grabbed me. However, The Toxic Touch (on Metal Blade) does. From the first note, the band is in complete control and […]