| 4.0 excellent | Jared Floryan | January 22nd 16 |
Having been around for as long as 1994, grindcore quartet Agoraphobic Nosebleed are one of the most entertaining grind bands to ever grace my ears. Without hesitation, I can honestly say that the 2003 album Altered States of America is one of my favorite music releases in that it's ridiculously fun and manages to be a short, but ultimately sweet listen even with 100 tracks. Often ANb are looked down on considering that they normally utilize a drum machine with their material, which also gets them labelled as "gimmicky" by grind purists in particular; because throwing the g-word around is always right! Anyway, it's been years since this band put out their fourth studio record Agorapocalypse, and it all brings us to ANb's 2016 EP - which is the first extended play in the group's EP tetralogy. Boasting a total of 3 songs, Arc is commandeered by one Katherine Katz, formerly the vocalist for Salome. Taking into account Kat's musical background, this release has a sludge-oriented direction alongside some doom influences, and for what it's all worth, Arc ends up being really good in execution. It shows that Agoraphobic Nosebleed are unafraid to evolve as an ensemble.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Skyline28 | March 4th 16 |
'Not a Daughter' and 'Deathbed' are spectacular pieces of sludged up doom metal reminding me of a more tormented, but less psychotic Acid Bath. However 'Gnaw' kills the momentum by indulging in dronier territory that lacks the contrasts of the firsts two tracks. Its only other weakness is that it is far too short! I personally would have loved an albums worth of this material or at least a couple more songs!
Bump |
| 3.5 great | cjbizzlebizzle | February 24th 16 |
Arc represents sludgey new territory for Agoraphobic Nosebleed kicking off a four-EP set ambitiously by stepping into fairly unchartered waters. The album as a whole sounds great. Kat delivers passionate and very angered vocals with unsettling lyrical themes never letting the foot off the pedal. The riffs are slimy and beefy traversing both groovy and frightening territories. Last but not least the crisp drums which actually allow the EP to flow rather nicely with a natural feel. Combine all of this with clean production and what could one complain about? Direction. The album feels mish-mash and you are left not really sure where Agoraphobic Nosebleed wants to take you. This is my only major problem here. Kat also sticks to her guns with one vocal style throughout and you wonder if a bit more variety could help. That being said I personally love her performance and I find myself putting this record on more and more. Kudos to the well placed samples which tie into the overall theme of the album. Not A Daughter is the highlight.
Bump |
| 3.0 good | TheManMachine | February 17th 16 |
The inaugural of a four-EP series, each "designed to decimate your total being" and allegedly tackling a different genre/a genre differing from their customary psychotic grind-freak blitzkrieg-core. So here we have the officially dubbed Sludge-Doom Inc. 3-track 27-minute EP from the group whose 100-track LP was a mere 21 mins. and change. Exclusively Kat vox (along with occasional accompaniment from anonymous low-pitched demon) is revivifying, riffery is substantial and sonically pleasing, mech-drums mesh specially well, samples remind that this is indeed ANb -- but though her vox slay they also never really alter, and songs seldom feel comfortable in their own tacked-on skin; kinda just going wherever and doing whatever and transitioning whenever. Which considering the outcome, is fine and good. But I can't say part of me has been decimated, certainly nowhere in the area of 25% anyway.
Bump |
| 3.5 great | BRAman22 | January 31st 16 |
Good dirty sludge. A lot of solid riffs for being just a three song EP.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Logan | March 26th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | Oobaloo | November 7th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | kevbogz | February 24th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Feels | February 23rd 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | DG5000 | October 1st 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | Panty420 | February 14th 20 |
| 3.5 great | cvlts | January 22nd 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | jfish226 | November 25th 19 |
| 3.0 good | blou52 | March 20th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | Jurtz | January 17th 19 |
| 3.5 great | Wolfe | December 20th 18 |
| 3.0 good | AriDoe | August 31st 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | P0laris | December 11th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | Risodo | June 23rd 17 |
| 3.5 great | analc | August 16th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Korpcun | July 30th 16 |
| 3.5 great | Caecus | June 22nd 16 |
| 3.5 great | Yep321 | March 20th 16 |
| 3.5 great | Henry | January 29th 16 |
| 3.5 great | Veldin | January 28th 16 |
| 3.5 great | N2B3J | January 26th 16 |
| 3.5 great | Prole | January 26th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | tomr4 | January 23rd 16 |
| 3.5 great | em17ah | January 22nd 16 |
| 3.5 great | torts | January 22nd 16 |
| 2.5 average | hsb | January 19th 16 |
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