The version of Thrice that made Major/Minor was an enviously well-oiled machine, a savvy group of veterans effortlessly creating some of the best rock music of the decade. A natural conclusion to the band’s sonic transformation, in some alternate universe where the hiatus is a permanent break-up, Major/Minor is viewed as the perfect swan song. Thrice’s return five years later, however, does not make Anthology any less anthemic, nor negate Yellow Belly as the best opener in the band’s catalog, nor does it diminish the irresistible groove the Breckenridge Bros lock into on some songs. Teppei found many of his best textures and tones here (see Treading Paper and the underrated Blinded), and Dustin’s vocal performance (aside from some rehashed lyrical themes) is refined to the ideal mix of soul and grit. Everything fits together perfectly, making Major/Minor one of the best albums from one of the 21st century’s most reliably great bands. – BroFro
99. Cult Of Luna – Vertikal
Genre: Post Metal// Released: 2013
At once claustrophobic and expansive, Vertikal’s oppressive, dismal industrial atmosphere builds titanic walls around you that slowly but surely close in, crushing all in their path. Opener The One explores decaying brutalist synth tones punctuated by distorted kicks; the totalitarian mood further probed for I: The…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 5, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
One of my favorite phenomena in music is when a band renowned for pristine, flawless production has lesser-known/stripped-down roots. It’s actually a very common occurrence, as typically bands enrich their sound over time when better resources/more expensive equipment becomes available. Nevertheless, I felt that it would make for an interesting set of case studies, observing where a band began, what they ended up sounding like, and whether that journey made them better or worse (in this blog, “before” indicates they were better before polishing their brand, “after” implies the opposite). There are several examples that could be used, but today I’m going to go with a handful of artists that have been making frequent rounds on my rotation of music. We begin with one of my all-time favorite bands, The Antlers:
Case Study #1: The Antlers
In contrasting ‘Palace’ from The Antlers’ 2014 LP Familiars to ‘In the Attic’ off their 2007 sophomore record In The Attic of the Universe, you can hear the development of the band’s sound quite clearly. On ‘Palace’, frontman Peter Silberman reins supreme, his vocals the central focus of everything as the surrounding instrumentation is highly orchestral and elegant. It works wonderfully, resulting in a crystalline, glass-like glaze that covers the album. If you’re anything like me, you got into The Antlers later in their career – probably circa Hospice – so it was quite the aesthetic shock when I trekked backwards to In The Attic of the Universe,…
It’s not always about being on the cutting edge. Sometimes, as hard as it can be to slow yourself down, it’s just about living in the moment and taking it all in.
An interesting thing happened to my perception of music over time. If you were to go back to my heyday on this website – let’s say 2010-2012 just for argument’s sake – everything changed my life. That heartfelt guitar solo. The lyric about overcoming depression. The slow burner that paralleled my own rage boiling beneath the surface. Everything was so relatable. Every moment within the music mattered.
Now, I can barely feel it.
The music plays, and I can discern (certainly to a debatable extent among some of you) the quality albums from the poor ones. Occasionally I’ll get wrapped up in a moment, but then that moment passes and I move on to the next one. Gone are the days where an album would imprint itself upon my life; there’s no Southern Air that defines my marriage the way that pop-punk slice of summer originally did for my most meaningful relationship. There is no The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me that makes me question my faith in 2020. I’ve tried in vain to find an album to emotionally attach to the birth of my son, but I keep coming up empty-handed. Maybe I’m burned out, or maybe I’m just getting way too old for this…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 29, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: May 29, 2020 –
Alestorm: Curse of the Crystal Coconut
Genre: Power Metal/Folk/Thrash Metal
Label: Napalm
Baths: Pop Music / False B-Sides II
Genre: Electronic/Downtempo/IDM
Label: Basement’s Basement
Behemoth: A Forest
Genre: Death/Black Metal
Label: Metal Blade
Bleed From Within: Fracture
Genre: Metalcore/Melodic Death Metal
Label: Century Media
Centinex: Death in Pieces
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Agonia
The Chain Gang of 1974: Honey Moon Drips
Genre: Indie-Pop/Electronic
Label: Fever Ltd.
Outside of the incredible musical content, the fleeting existence of No Note as a band was captivating to me; their work seemingly arrived and departed without any explanation. Here was a collection of tracks with titles taken from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a despairingly brief band biography, little to no information on contributing members, and so on. Questions heavily outweighed any answers. Perhaps leaving the book closed as-is would have kept the album in a sort of open ending where the conclusion was left to the listener However, on a whim, drummer Robert Murray reached out after having read my review for if this is the future then I’m in the dark. One impromptu, casual conversation-turned-interview later, and the story surrounding the mysterious record began to crystallize. Here’s the result of my time with Rob, who graciously gave his time to discuss how No Note came to be, what made it work, what made it come apart, and how to cope when negativity surrounds you.
Mars/Mitch: I know this is rather an open question, but this it’s probably one of the more burning ones I’ve got: what exactly was No Note? The bio was like an obituary and there seems to be so little information on you guys. Was it a band or was it more of a one-off?
Rob: It was a normal band. wasn’t just a project intended to be a one off. Dave, Nate and myself all played…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 22, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: May 22, 2020 –
The 1975: Notes On A Conditional Form
Genre: Indie-Rock/Electronic
Label: Polydor Records
The Airborne Toxic Event: Hollywood Park
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Rounder
Badly Drawn Boy: Banana Skin Shoes
Genre: Indie-Rock/Folk
Label: One Last Fruit
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 15, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: May 15, 2020 –
Asking Alexandria: Like a House on Fire
Genre: Metalcore/Post-Hardcore
Label: Sumerian Records
Binary Code: Momento Mori
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Independent
Charli XCX: How I’m Feeling Now
Genre: Pop/Electronic
Label: Atlantic
The Dears: Lovers Rock
Genre: Indie/Alt Rock
Label: Dangerbird
Einstürzende Neubauten: Alles in Allem
Genre: Industrial/Experimental/Noise Rock
Label: Potomak
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: Reunions
Genre: Folk/Country/Americana
Label: Southeastern Records
When we consider the amount of big releases being pushed back because of the coronavirus, you can scarcely tell there’s a shortage of quality music when you look at the number of albums being put forward for April’s Album of the Month. In spite of this eclectic sprawl of candidates though, in my heart I knew Ulcerate’s uncompromising return was going to resonate the most with Sputnikmusic’s userbase. Jacquibim’s hype-fuelled review was a telling indicator that we were in for something special, but to fully understand what was on offer here you had to listen to the unrelenting behemoth yourself. Stare Into Death and Be Still is a career-defining marvel, and it’s clear Sputnikmusic recognises and embraces their efforts.
April 2020 Album of the Month: Ulcerate – Stare Into Death and Be Still
“What Ulcerate have done here, very successfully, is create a tech-death record with huge crossover appeal. The melodies are layered in such a way that picking them out is no chore, much in the same way that a lot of post metal would approach the task, and yet, the familiar trappings of unbound technicality are ever-present. It’s almost uncanny. A beautiful, sludgy, catchy behemoth that punches hard and cuts deep but applies an ample amount of anaesthetic first. A great deal of its success can be attributed to the production, which has been handled exceptionally well. It reveals the music in layers, each element distinct, but unquestionably integral to the whole.…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 8, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: May 8, 2020 –
…and Oceans: Cosmic World Mother
Genre: Black Metal/Industrial
Label: Season of Mist
Brant Bjork: Brant Bjork
Genre: Blues/Stoner Rock
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Butch Walker: American Love Story
Genre: Pop Rock/Folk
Label: Ruby Red Recordings
Daedelus: What Wands Won’t Break
Genre: Hip-Hop/Electronic
Label: Dome of Doom
The Weeknd – “House Of Balloons / Glass Table Girls”
This is one party that I wish I wasn’t so late to. Hell, by the time I got there the party was over.
I discover The Weeknd when “Can’t Feel My Face” hits the airwaves in 2015, which I think is a catchy tune so I download it. I check out samples of few other songs and decide it’s not for me. Yep, I’ll just stick with that one song and add it to my upbeat party mix. Cool.
Then comes 2016’s “Starboy” – which I hear at a night club/bar as I’m halfway to my goal of not remembering a damn thing from the night – and I think to myself that it’s the greatest fucking song ever. Spoiler: it isn’t, but consuming copious amounts of alcohol helps.
Skip ahead four years and After Hours is receiving all kinds of acclaim on sputnikmusic dot com; I’m skeptical, but I dive in. As I’m clicking “play”, I peruse the album’s ratings and I see that Doof gave it a 2/5. I immediately raise one eyebrow and my expectations as well.
Fast-forward another two hours and I’m finding After Hours to scratch an itch that R&B rarely does for me. I slap an admittedly hasty 4/5 on it,but I still find myself more intrigued by everyone’s comparisons to this “Trilogy.” I press on, and download the whole thing on an impulse.
As House of Balloons begins, I’m immediately sucked into…
A monthly curated bite of word salad on the hottest new tracks to come out across the globe, targeting artists of all genres and popularities. Brought to you by myself and a few other friendly writers, this blog series intends to inspire something new yet familiar to this wonderful music review site. This first post is purposefully short; I know for a fact there’s many others out there like me who do the daily Spotify / new music release check’n’scroll, people that are just dying to get their opinions out about their favorite (or least favorite) singles of the week! If you see something that’s missing, don’t just tell me how derivative and basic my music taste is, go and prove it by writing the hell out of a 1-paragraph review for whatever recent single you think will win you those imaginary obscurity points. Best part? You can act like your favorite staffer by giving out a nifty .1 incriminate rating! Just track me down and give me a Gmail friendly email address whenever you have the review, streaming link, and single information typed up. Without further ado, here’s the very first edition of the Spotlight Singles Series, featuring special guests ArtBox and AsleepintheBack!
We all know how sophomore efforts go; slumps, successful refinements/reinventions/re-etc., sometimes a healthy mix of both. And sometimes they just sound like…
Welcome to the first installment of our 2020 quarterly playlist/mixtape! Below you will find hand picked songs from January to March. Feel free to jam the playlist below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. Tell us what your favorites are in the comment, as well as any new artists you may have discovered here – or, alternatively, tell us what we missed! Thanks for reading/listening.
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Tracklist:
(#1) Algiers – We Can’t Be Found
On their new album Algiers show that they are not afraid of taking risks. We Can’t Be Found is a haunting dub-inflected track that’s all about the ghosts of the past. Yet, the verses build up to a soaring chorus that feels like a much needed release from all the doom and gloom. –Greg.
(#2) Yuri Gagarin – QSO
This is one of Yuri Gagarin’s most raging tunes, pushing forward soaring, noisy guitars over punishing drum beats. Solos abound and windy synthesizers roam along, growing steadily until a gentle coda puts things to rest. For
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of May 1, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: May 1, 2020 –
An Autumn For Crippled Children: All Fell Silent, Everything Went Quiet
Genre: Black Metal/Post-Rock/Shoegaze
Label: Prosthetic
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of April 24, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: April 24, 2020 –
Anubis Gate: Covered in Colours
Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal
Label: Nightmare
AWOLNATION: Angel Miners & The Lightning Riders
Genre: Electronic/Indie-Pop
Label: Better Noise Music
Birds of Tokyo: Human Design
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: Birds of Tokyo Pty Ltd
Brendan Benson: Dear Life
Genre: Indie-Pop
Label: Third Man
Cirith Ungol: Forever Black
Genre: Doom/Heavy/Power Metal
Label: Metal Blade
Dance Gavin Dance: Afterburner
Genre: Post-Hardcore/Progressive Rock/Math Rock
Label: Rise
Danzig: Danzig Sings Elvis
Genre: Doom Metal/Gothic
Label: Cleopatra
![Shrines [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81zrU2qc3NL._SS500_.jpg)
![Splinters from an Ever-Changing Face [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71-bCtO7dfL._SS500_.jpg)
![RTJ4 [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61yWO76iCtL._SS500_.jpg)
![Patience [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71H-zaXFV8L._SS500_.jpg)
![Curse of the Crystal Coconut [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/810lh7xcrbL._SS500_.jpg)
![A Forest [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81zbSiwn2JL._SS500_.jpg)
![Fracture [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81mHg3EHKlL._SS500_.jpg)
![Death in Pieces [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81AVCnURlAL._SS500_.jpg)
![Notes On A Conditional Form [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71uGnJmp2vL._SS500_.jpg)
![Hollywood Park [2 LP]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61zMEB8tO5L._SX522_.jpg)
![SPECIES [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Fs-X-DjSL._SS500_.jpg)
![Like A House On Fire [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91MF7wKgmML._SS500_.jpg)
![Lovers Rock [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71cXE1KekwL._SS500_.jpg)
![American Love Story [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61ybk+3wAML._SS500_.jpg)
![Fake Names [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Bx4KbC4CL._SS500_.jpg)
![It Was Good Until It Wasn't [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81ZYajwB3cL._SS500_.jpg)
![Straight Songs Of Sorrow [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Rdwj6L2hL._SS500_.jpg)
![Cerecloth [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91SZx3zvmQL._SS500_.jpg)
![GLUE [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Yr5vNA1nL._SS500_.jpg)
![Making a Door Less Open [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Rlaa1t22L._SS500_.jpg)
![Do You Wonder About Me? [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71gOyyxs0DL._SS500_.jpg)
![V [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Q5Klt-NHL._SS500_.jpg)
![good to know [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/8115AOC-ICL._SS500_.jpg)
![Solitude in Madness [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81kxauoaogL._SS500_.jpg)
![Afterburner [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91iIVNvqndL._SS500_.jpg)
![City Burials [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71uXKHKwrlL._SS500_.jpg)
![Good Souls Better Angels [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81LT9WBgWlL._SS500_.jpg)
![Heartwork [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81we3hbbkML._SS500_.jpg)
