Music Reviews
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Jan 14 Reviews
Rise: Ascension
A Skylit DriveReview by David Stagg
A Skylit Drive’s new acoustic album is proof of something a number of musicians would swear to you they already knew: Symphonies are freaking metal. It never seemed like...
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Jan 5 Reviews
Split Decision
A Common Goal/False IdleReview by Garrett Hollowell
I’ve been a fan a Sef Idle — the frontman of puck rock group False Idle who also dabbles in the acoustic punk world — for awhile now, and...
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Dec 1 Reviews
Knives to the Future
Project 86Review by Sean Huncherick
Thunder, heavy breathing, troops marching and string section open Project 86’s highly anticipated Knives to the Future with an intro fit for a movie soundtrack. The trouble with ambitious...
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Dec 1 Reviews
Correspondence (A Fiction)
Levi the PoetReview by Jordan Gonzalez
Spoken word is a frustrating genre. It’s not recited poetry and it’s not exactly rap. It’s been around for centuries, used by a plethora of ideologies and showcased in...
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Dec 1 Reviews
Heavy is the Head
SullivanReview by Sean Huncherick
In 2007, Tooth and Nail Records’ ridiculously catchy alternative-rock group Sullivan called it quits on their headlining tour promoting their then-recently released sophomore album, Cover Your Eyes. Following the...
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Dec 1 Reviews
Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 6
Various ArtistsReview by David Stagg
A long time ago, right here in the U.S., listening to pop music as a scene kid would get you hung out to dry. Britney was a coveted charm,...
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Dec 1 Reviews
Ixora
CopelandReview by Sean Huncherick
Copeland broke up in 2008, the same year melodic indie bands like Fleet Foxes were just getting their start. Had they stayed together through the early 2010s, I have...
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Dec 1 Reviews
The Birthright
Brother WolfReview by Collin Simula
About ten years ago, I remember a new sound entering the metal- and hardcore scene. The down-tuned, first-five-frets-of-the-lowest-string previously only heard on nu-metal records. (Or in Meshuggah songs, but...
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Nov 3 Reviews
Dear Youth
The Ghost InsideReview by Nate Lake
I’ve long admired Jonathan Vigil and the rest of The Ghost Inside for writing passionate, emotional songs that encourage positivity. I was happy to see them continue this trend...
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Nov 3 Reviews
What Was Done, Vol. I
The Classic CrimeReview by Sean Huncherick
When you play the same songs 200 days a year, you’ll start to spice it up with new riffs, chords and lyrics, sometimes ones you wish you could have...
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Nov 3 Reviews
The Night God Slept
Silent PlanetReview by Collin Simula
Another metalcore record. Another album full of clicky-kick drum sounds, staccato breakdowns, guitar amps with the “mid” knob turned to 11 and throaty, syncopated vocals. This is what I...
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Nov 3 Reviews
Broken Vessels
Silence the OceanReview by Nate Lake
Broken Vessels is the first full-length record released by Ohio metalcore act Silence the Ocean, and it begins with a soft keyboard pattern leading into an impressive growl as...
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Nov 3 Reviews
Cold Blood / Simple Math
Despite My PrideReview by Nathan Key
On my first rollercoaster at Six Flags Great America in Illinois, I distinctly remember the ups and downs, the loops and drops, the dips and hard turns making me...
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Nov 3 Reviews
Dead Leaves
Dead LeavesReview by Ben Rickaby
Dead Leaves, both the name of the new self-titled EP and the band, have left the pop-punk attitude of their first release behind for a more melancholy and introspective...
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Nov 3 Reviews
Ghost-Ship
Jake Down and the Midwest MessReview by Ben Rickaby
Ghost-Ship, by Jake Down and the Midwest Mess, was a surprisingly pleasant change of pace from the brooding acoustic folk scene. The influence isn’t too over the top or...
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Oct 13 Reviews
I Used to Be So Young
The Homeless Gospel ChoirReview by Garrett Hollowell
I immediately loved The Homeless Gospel Choir when I saw them at the last-ever Cornerstone Festival. The band (the stage name for Derek Zanetti) has a way with words...
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Oct 6 Reviews
Calloused
GideonReview by Collin Simula
“We break the mold.” That’s the last line of the title track from Calloused, Gideon’s latest effort from Facedown Records. Unfortunately — when it comes to this album —...
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Oct 6 Reviews
Live at the Whisky
StryperReview by Charlie Steffens
Stryper hit the hard rock scene more than 30 years ago, and Hollywood’s fabled Sunset Strip was the band’s playground. Back then, when they called themselves Roxx Regime, four...
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Oct 6 Reviews
Hold On Pain Ends
The Color MoraleReview by Nate Lake
Hold On Pain Ends is the fourth full-length album by increasingly popular post-hardcore outfit The Color Morale. Vocalist Garret Rapp and company have created a unique and exciting bond...
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Oct 6 Reviews
Becoming Who We Are
Kings KaleidoscopeReview by Sarah Dos Santos
There’s something about music that can complete a moment. When taking long drives, the right music can emphasize the good feeling you get from seeing the world fly by...
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