It’s with hearty congratulations that we welcome three new staff members to our team today!
Without further ado, please welcome Frippertronics, ScuroFantasma, and Verdant to the list of professional writers here at Sputnikmusic.com. These users have displayed exceptional skills, and now you’ll get to read their review summaries on Metacritic. Stay sharp, fellas!
Also, it is time to usher in a new litter of contributors – all of whom have given us reason to look towards the future with optimism:
We’d like to take this time to thank everyone who applied. It was a really tight decision for some, so if you think you should have been promoted, you’re probably right. There will almost certainly be a fabled “ghost” round, and perhaps sooner than you think! Keep your nose to the grindstone.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of February 2, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Justin Timberlake: Man of the Woods
Genre: Pop/R&B // Label: RCA
Background:
For many, The 20/20 Experience was one of the best pop albums in recent memory. It would be a tough act to follow, but that doesn’t appear to be the aim for Man of the Woods. A preliminary trailer advertising the record hinted towards a folksy, electronic venture not all that dissimilar from the works of Justin Vernon. While those expectations haven’t exactly been mirrored by the singles released so far, it’s a 16-track album – so there’s plenty of room for JT’s 5th LP to either follow the “personal” path described, or to become a haphazard mix of electronica, pop, and middling attempts at an experimental folk album. I guess we’ll see.
“Man of the Woods” Trailer:
– Full List of Releases: February 2, 2018 –
AWOLNATION: Here Come The Runts
Genre: Electronic/Indie-Pop // Label: Red Bull Records
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of January 26, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
As you also may have already seen, we are currently accepting applications for the roles of staff reviewer and contributing reviewer. If you think you have what it takes, apply here. The tentative deadline is this Sunday, 1/28.
– Full List of Releases: January 26, 2018 –
Calexico: The Thread That Keeps Us
Genre: Country/Americana/Folk // Label: Anti/Epitaph
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of January 19, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Belle & Sebastian: How To Solve Our Human Problems Pt. 2
Genre: Indie-Pop/Rock // Label: Matador
Background:
The second in a three-part EP series, How To Solve Our Human Problems Pt. 2 will look to expand upon the sleek indie-pop/electronic offering of the first installment. The band arguably reached a handful of personal heights on Pt. 1, especially creatively and in terms of production value, so there is reason to anticipate continued excellence throughout the trilogy. You can hear the lead single from Pt. 2 below.
“I’ll be Your Pilot”:
– Full List of Releases: January 19, 2018 –
A Grave with No Name: Passover
Genre: Indie-Folk // Label: LForged Artifacts
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Arkona: Khram
Genre: Black Metal // Label: Napalm
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Bahamas: Earthtones
Genre: Alternative Rock // Label: Brushfire/Universal
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of January 12, 2018. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Camila Cabello: Camila
Genre: Pop // Label: Syco/Epic
Background:
Leaving Fifth Harmony to pursue a solo career, Camila Cabello has found early success with her chart-topping ‘Havana.’ Camila may not be the most riveting album to kick off our 2018, but it’s sure to be a talked about (and almost certainly overplayed) pop outing that could set Ms. Cabello up for a a lot of mainstream success in the coming years. As a debut, Camila already appears to be positioned as one of 2018’s biggest pop albums. If you’ve managed to live under a rock for the last several months, you can hear her extremely successful single below.
“Havana”:
– Full List of Releases: January 12, 2018 –
Anderson East: Encore
Genre: Country/Americana/Soul // Label: Low Country Sound/Elektra
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 10, 2017. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
— Album of the Week —
Toothgrinder: Phantom Amour
Genre: Modern Prog // Label: Spinefarm
Background:
This is going to shock longtime fans. Toothgrinder started out as one of those modern prog bands specializing in chaos, noise, and aggression with occasional moments of clean singing and melody. On Phantom Amour the chaos and noise has been replaced by lush atmosphere, and most the aggression has been replaced by the clean singing and melody. The most similar sonic shift that comes to mind is the change between Gabriel and Transhuman — in fact, this and Transhuman have a lot in common. Throughout its runtime, Phantom Amour delivers a moody, melodic blend of modern prog, alternative rock, and even a little psychedelia. Check out Phantom Amour‘s title track below.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of November 3, 2017. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Converge: The Dusk In Us
Genre: Metalcore/Hardcore/Punk // Label: Epitaph
Background:
It’s been five years since we’ve had new Converge, and the kings of hardcore are back to follow up their acclaimed eighth LP All We Love We Leave Behind. A band like this requires no introduction; they’ve long dominated their particular scene and The Dusk In Us will only continue to grow their legacy. For a hint of things to come later this week when the album officially drops, stream the lyric video for ‘Under Duress’ below:
“Under Duress”:
– Full List of Releases: November 3, 2017 –
Adimiron: Et Liber Eris
Genre: Death/Progressive Metal // Label: Indie Recordings
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Annihilator: For The Demented
Genre: Thrash/Progressive Metal // Label: Neverland Music
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Anti-Flag: American Fall
Genre: Punk/Hardcore // Label: Spinefarm
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AUTOBAHN: The Moral Crossing
Genre: Alternative Rock/Post-Punk // Label: felte
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Beast In Black: Berserker
Genre: Power Metal // Label: Nuclear…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 27, 2017. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
Ne Obliviscaris: Urn
Genre: Progressive/Black Metal/Death Metal // Label: Season of Mist
Background:
I’m not going to lie, I’m probably not the person to actually be writing on this. I liked the first two tracks from their debut and barely even bothered with their sophomore release because I kind of felt that it was a step backwards and didn’t really build on any of the debut’s potential. But Urn… this finally builds on the debut’s potential. Yes, the vocals are still kind of nasally and off-key, but when it comes to the music and songwriting, they’re finally getting it. The songs are more memorable and their blend of black, death, and prog is finally gelling into a cohesive unit. Also, the songs themselves don’t seem to meander all over the place like they used to on previous albums. Definitely something fans should check out, but Urn is even something people that blew off their previous two releases might actually enjoy.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 20, 2017. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
– Full List of Releases: October 20, 2017 –
Amenra: Mass VI
Genre: Post/Sludge Metal // Label: Neurot Recordings
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 13, 2017. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
St. Vincent: MASSEDUCATION
Genre: Indie-Pop/Indie-Rock// Label: Loma Vista Recordings
Background:
St. Vincent’s fifth full-length LP MASSEDUCATION (pronounced “mass seduction”) marks Annie Clark’s follow-up to her celebrated self-titled 2014 venture into art-pop. Jack Antonoff (of Bleachers) is credited as a co-producer with Clark and there is a range of special guests featured on the album including Kamasi Washington, Jenny Lewis, and Thomas Bartlett.
Check out the music video for “New York” below:
– Full List of Releases: October 13, 2017 –
Altarage: Endinghent
Genre: Death Metal // Label: Season of Mist
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Ancient VVisdom: 33
Genre: Rock // Label: Magic Bullet
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Antisect: The Rising Of The Lights
Genre: Punk // Label: Rise Above
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Beck: Colors
Genre: Folk/Experimental/Alt-Rock // Label: Capitol Records
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Bigfoot: Bigfoot
Genre: Alternative Rock // Label: Frontiers Music
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of October 6, 2017. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
– Full List of Releases: October 6, 2017 –
Alex Lahey: I Love You Like A Brother
Genre: Indie-Rock // Label: Dead Oceans
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Andrew Hung: Realisationship
Genre: Drone/Electronic/Psychedelic // Label: Lex
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Antarktis: Ildlaante
Genre: Post Metal // Label: Agonia Record
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August Burns Red: Phantom Anthem
Genre: Metalcore/Progressive Metal // Label: Fearless
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The Black Dahlia Murder: Nightbringers
Genre: Melodic Death Metal // Label: Metal Blade
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Blue Hawaii: Tenderness
Genre: Indie/Dream-Pop // Label: Arbutus
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Carbon Based Lifeforms: Derelicts
Genre: Ambient/Downtempo/Electronic // Label: Blood Music
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Citizen: As You Please
Genre: Emo/Grunge/Post-Hardcore // Label: Run For Cover
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Courtney Farren: Nothing Like It
Genre: Indie-Pop/Folk // Label: Courtney Farren
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 29, 2017. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die: Always Foreign
Genre: Post-Rock/Emo/Indie // Label: Epitaph
Background:
With a warm blend of post-rock, emo, and indie stylings, The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die return with their third full-length LP, and their follow-up to 2015’s Harmlessness. Early singles seem to indicate that their genre trajectory will continue down the indie-laden path of its predecessor, but with the lush moments of beauty and the intricate guitar work displayed on that effort, few will likely find fault with that decision.
Check out the 7-minute single “Marine Tigers” below:
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 22, 2017. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
–Featured Release: Godspeed You! Black Emperor: “Luciferian Towers”
The fathers of post-rock are back at it. Two years removed from ‘Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress’, an album that for all intents and purposes reinvented Godspeed’s core philosophy (drone/ambient, shorter overall length), the band finds itself trudging further down that path while adding precious few wrinkles in the process. It’s once again shorter than some of their gargantuan efforts of the past, and it opts for emotive string sections and concise, calculated progressions over the sprawling, free-form drone passages of this album’s predecessor. Interjecting their fair share of political imagery, GY!BE ultimately prove that amid the minor tweaks this is still the same embittered, eccentric band that conceptualized the end of the world in 1997’s F♯ A♯ ∞. As our very own contributing reviewer LandDiving surmised in his review, “although previous Godspeed releases have spun sprawling post-apocalyptic narratives imbued with pathos, this new record engenders a last-ditch effort to prevent the end of the world from occurring, as if it plays out before both F#A# and…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 15, 2017. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
–Featured Release: Foo Fighters: “Concrete And Gold”
Genre: Rock/Grunge // Label: RCA Records
Background:
Foo Fighters are one of the few traditional 90’s rock/grunge bands whose relevance and longevity has extended all the way into 2017. That alone speaks volumes about the quality of their product, as they’ve remained the best and most consistent mainstream rock band around for well over two decades. Never groundbreaking yet almost always impressive, Dave Grohl and company return with their ninth LP – and for those who have taken a long vacation from Foo Fighters, this may mark a good point to start listening again. Easily their most enthralling and adventurous record in years, it is more Wasting Light than it is Sonic Highways, and there’s an exquisite balance between their trademark rock roots and a more sonically explorative curiosity. There’s a long list of reasons why these guys sit atop the throne of contemporary rock n’ roll, but Concrete and Gold is more than just another bullet-point; it’s a highlight.
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of September 8, 2017. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff or contributors. As our staff post reviews of these albums, links will appear below the art work so that you can read about the release, see how we scored it, and more.
–Featured Release: The National – “Sleep Well Beast”–
At this stage in their career, The National are established leaders in their scene. They have yet to produce an album that was not critically well-received, and they boast an array of masterpieces to their name: particularly Alligator, Boxer, and High Violet.With Sleep Well Beast, we see them on the verge of continuing their trend of excellence, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Introducing a few new wrinkles to their sound, like the vibrant electric guitars in “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”, only serves to whet the appetite of an already hungry fanbase. So at this point the only thing to really say about this is that it’s The National; they are in and of themselves their most boastful asset. Here’s to another incredible outing by one of indie-rock’s most consistently flooring artists.
Listen to “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” below:
![For The Demented [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61TwArmhrVL._SS500.jpg)
![American Fall [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61NeAGjAbSL._SS500.jpg)
![Berserker [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61KHbMTnKSL._SS500.jpg)
![Masseduction [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41on99Y3BzL._SS500.jpg)
![Colors [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/416JKsKKpQL._SS500.jpg)
![Realisationship [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61IzYzuqjjL._SS500.jpg)
![Pinewood Smile (Deluxe) [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61masRu38lL._SS500.jpg)
![Concrete and Gold [Explicit]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51WmOGprqnL._SS500.jpg)
