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by Casey Boland Let’s face it: hype affects our initial opinions. Positive or negative, we bring assumptions and preconceived notions to the stereo, or more accurately for the times, the computer. Such is certainly the case with Shrinebuilder. When four musical titans group together, expectations will soar. Solar Benediction (excerpt) In Shrinebuilder’s case, the sum […]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H238Rm0ZUy0]by Casey Boland Those familiar with A Storm of Light‘s pedigree won’t be surprised by Forgive Us Our Trespasses (Neurot, 2009). Vocalist/guitarist Josh Graham’s involvement with Neurosis and Red Sparowes rubbed off on his musical inclinations. As on ASOL’s debut And We Wept the Black Ocean Within, the band erects massive songs of epic ambition […]

Photo by Scott KinkadeReview by Casey Boland On its face, there is nothing remarkable about Javelina. You have four dudes hammering out drop-tuned Sabbath-inspired metal. One would be hard-pressed to read reviews that did not niche the band as “sludge,” “stoner,” and “thrash.” Javelina’s debut was more ferocious than most bands operating in the weed-slowed […]

by Casey Boland Musicianship is not a quality often ascribed to black metal. Purists tend to prefer their BM crude and rudimentary. Krallice defy such notions during the hour and 20 minutes of Dimensional Bleedthrough (Profound Lore, 2009). The band incorporates untraditional guitar patterns and varying tempos. At its best, the music evokes intense longing […]

by Casey Boland I’ve never been entirely convinced by most “drone metal.” Perhaps I’m reluctant to explore genres not couched in standard rock forms. But give me memorable riffs and passionate performances, and I’m satisfied. So to be wowed by the decidedly non-rock Pyramids with Nadja (Hydra Head, 2009) indicates either its superior quality or […]

by Casey Boland Like most music fans who’ve grown long in the tooth, I’m finding it harder each year to uncover new music that moves me. As I scroll through the iTunes library, I find few songs earning multiple play counts. Nevertheless, this year saw the release of several standout albums. Since some of what […]

by Casey Boland Arguably no other contemporary hardcore band has taken risks and renovated its sound more than Blacklisted. Arising from the desperate streets of Philadelphia, the band churned out knuckle-dragging hardcore as hardscrabble as the neighborhoods from which it came. Blacklisted played it straight, hard, and fast. As could be expected, the band was […]

http://cdn.topspin.net/widgets/bundle/swf/TSBundleWidget.swf?timestamp=1261005871 Stream OXEP aboveReview by Casey Boland It’s surprising enough that OX (reviewed here) — Coalesce‘s first album in a decade — came close to the brilliance of their late-’90s apex. But then to follow with an EP of leftovers just as good? That’s unexpected, even for a band routinely hailed as progenitors of its […]

Screenshot from live videoReview by Casey Boland Bands have been reuniting at an alarming rate. It’s not a matter of who is back together so much as who is not. That Cave In returned is no surprise. The band entered its hiatus amicably, with members appearing on one another’s projects. With continued interest in the […]

Photo by learydotmarkReview by Casey Boland Can ass-kicking rock be intelligent? By its very nature, rock (and its subsets from punk to metal) is decidedly crude and visceral. Its primal instincts arguably preclude the need or desire to give it a brain. Let’s face it: few fans consume albums or go to shows to be […]