Heralding their anticipated third record, Dark Thought’s “Do You Dream” gives us a two track taste of what’s in store. As always, the band is influenced by the three chord Ramones blast. But, interesting, the A-side here, while it is 78 second stormer, has an almost Replacements style rawness. Singer Jim Shomo still maintains his Joey-ish croon, but there’s a certain hot fire in his voice that we haven’t heard before. That’s not to say that the band is abandoning their mandate, but they’re show

The Spine That Binds might be the darkest sounding victory record of the year. No doubt, the band was facing an uphill battle before even stepping into the studio. First of all, it was their first record in 15 years and it’s no secret that comeback records are always brimming with promise, but rarely deliver upon the same. Second of all, long running vocalist Agent M was no longer in the band, replaced by new singer Kate Jacobi.

But, an uphill battle is just that- a ch

If the band Mobile Deathcamp were a color, they would definitely be black. While I’m sure most heavy bands would hope for that to be the case, this Michigan/Indiana trio wears it on their (presumably black) sleeve. The first sign was the title and cover art of the band’s new EP. Vol 4-ish is an obvious Black Sabbath (and Sasquatch!) reference. Then, the second track is a Black Flag cover. So much black! None more black!

I didn’t know anything about Mobile Deathcamp, beyond havin

When I was in my senior year of high school, an alumni of my high school named Bernard Dolan (long before he adopted the abbreviated moniker, B. Dolan) started a poetry club in several high schools in the area, including mine. He got those of us in the clubs to start coming to the Providence Poetry slams, where we met a number of amazing artists, including poet and rapper Sage Francis. At the time, Bernard and Sage were not very close and were a long way from building the friendship that would

I admit, I slept on this album, not because I don't like Dave Hause, but because in a year filled with death and anxiety, I knew it'd be a tough one to get through. Reviewing's kinda like that. And listening to music in general, as some albums are so emotionally heavy, they can sap you dry when you least expect. A couple months after its release, though, I can safely say Kick is just that -- a kick in the gut, a kick in the ass and a kick out the door to get out there and start living lif

So we can all agree we'll never get The Shape Of Punk To Come again, right?

Now that that's out the way, I'll be the first to say I thought Freedom didn't get the credit it deserved. A lot of the criticism I found was a bit harsh, and honestly tapered to what Refused did in the '90s before they broke up. But what I do love about them and what they're kicking around seven years in since they reunited is the band didn't reverse and try to mimic the winning formula of o

Kentucky's Knocked Loose are one of the bands fronting the new metal/hardcore/death-core movement in a way that keeps the flag flying under the banner of art, and not product. We've seen so many bands use this as a gimmick to end up on the last couple Warped Tour rosters but everything just felt so overproduced and lacked dynamism. Well, this is where Knocked Loose succeeds, with a sense of drama tied into several musical novels that feel so real. Couching all this under aggressive riffs, crushi

Over the years, Adrenalin OD’s 1984 LP The Wacky Hi-Jinks of Adrenalin OD has become a serious cult classic. Bands as diverse as NOFX, Screeching Weasel, Anthrax, Bouncing Souls, Night Birds, Municipal Waste and S.O.D. name them as a major influence. Wacky Hi-Jinks was originally released on AOD’s own Buy Our Records label, but now, to celebrate its 35th anniversary, it’s getting the Millennium Edition treatment from Beer City Records. This coincides with the New Jersey quartet

I always love reading and listening to opinions on every Jimmy Eat World release. You learn so much about what fans think of eras gone by, and honestly, it's pretty amazing soaking in why folks prefer Clarity over Chase This Light etc. To me, they're all great albums but I learn something new every time and when I dive back into the records, the experience always changes for the better. That's the power and magic of Jim Adkins and co. For me Bleed American and Futures