ALBUM REVIEW: Arms And Sleepers – What Tomorrow Brings


 

Mirza Ramic doesn’t do anything halfway.

The musical artist and producer helped to found Arms And Sleepers, an electronic trip hop outfit that was formed back in 2006 and has since released 13 full-lengths and 20 EPs in that time. His latest effort is no less impactful.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: See You Next Tuesday – Relapses


In recent years, it seems there has been a heightened embrace of electronic music within Metal that is becoming increasingly at the forefront. From the likes of Perturbator and HEALTH sitting on Metal and Rock lineups so fluidly with the likes of LLNN capturing dystopian and pounding soundscapes in their John Cxnner project, it is seemingly becoming a more prominent and welcome aspect within the more extreme fringes of Metal. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Polar Sun – Wax – Wane


Rising from Brighton, United Kingdom, the genre-bending quintet Polar Sun (formerly known as Porshyne) self-release their new album Wax / Wane, which presents a mix of styles from electronic and Jazz to post-Rock and Math Rock.

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ALBUM REVIEW: ZAHN – Adria


 

German instrumental three-piece ZAHN (featuring members of Einstürzende Neubauten and Heads) combines musical elements that might seem strange on paper, but make perfect sense on record.

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CONCERT REVIEW: Igorrr – Melt-Banana – Otto Von Schirach Live at The Crofoot


 

It was a pleasant, late summer evening in Metro Detroit last Wednesday when a hubbub started at the Crofoot. The cherished multi-venue complex was hosting Igorrr’s long-awaited Spirituality & Distortion Fall 2023 run. A multitude of folks paraded into the music hall ready to finally see this act that has been absent for too long. This independent concert space was a supreme choice to cater the wildly unique and epic sounds of French musician, Gautier Serre.

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ALBUM REVIEW: ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT – Darling the Dawn


 

Darling the Dawn (Constellation Records) is the debut album by long-time collaborative duo Ariel Engle (La Force, Patrick Watson, Broken Social Scene) and Efrim Manuel Menuck (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion) as ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT. For forty-four minutes of vocal-driven electronic droning — combining the melodic tones of Engle with the “noise” (as the credits put it) of Menuck — there’s less of a sense of being taken from A to B, but rather being given the warm blanket of a trance to lie in.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Thotcrime – D1G1T4L_DR1FT


 

Sometimes as a metalhead or underground fan it is easy to forget that not everyone knows what you mean when you describe things in ever smaller concentric circles of references, sub-genres or in-jokes. It seems totally clear to me what I mean when I say that Elvenking‘s ‘Silence de Mort’ sounds like if Megadeth had colorful power melodic hooks and a singer who wasn’t such a born-again know it all douche, but some folks might stare blankly at that description and blink at oncoming traffic.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Nova Twins – Supernova


Over the years, the rock community has become more and more divisive with gatekeepers and elitists shunning whoever challenges the boundaries of the genre. The UK’s Nova Twins turn a blind eye to this part of the scene, unapologetically embracing all of their quirks with no regard for the haters. With their adamant no-rules approach and contagiously iron-willed personalities, vocalist and guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South break the musical mold with their second album Supernova (Marshall Records).

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CONCERT REVIEW: Deftones – Gojira Live at Michigan Lottery Amphitheater


 

It was a perfect spring evening last Tuesday in Sterling Heights when Alternative Metal giants Deftones brought their tour to town. The sun was shining, and the birds were singing when a line of traffic started to form outside the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater. Cars were bumper to bumper as they tried to squeeze their way into the sold-out show at this Detroit suburb open-air venue. The opening act of the tour, VOWWS, could not make the gig so the second band on the roster, the mighty Gojira opened up the night.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Failure – Wild Type Droid


Failure’s sixth album and third since their 2014 comeback is considerably scaled back compared to their previous outings. At just under forty minutes long, Wild Type Droid (Failure Recordings) is their shortest full-length since their debut, 1992’s Comfort, and a far cry from the hour-plus ventures that have come to define them since the classic Fantastic Planet. This setup suggests a more casual approach than usual but instead results in one of their most focused releases to date.

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