XERXES – Our Home is a Deathbed

It appears that Halls cough drops has a new spokesperson in Xerxes vocalist Calvin Philley. Okay, not really, but after listening to the 12 tracks on their debut album Our Home is a Deathbed, I would say that anyone who thrashes their voice like he does would need a lifetime supply of throat lozenges.

Formed in 2009, Xerxes may appear on the surface to be just another hardcore act, but after examining the material found on this album, it’s clear that there’s more than meets the ear. The opening track, “Wake,” serves as an intro that does not truly reveal what is next to come. Be sure to have your speakers at a reasonable level, as the second track, “Sleep,” hits hard with those thrashed vocals of Philley over the chaotic guitars and percussion.

One of the first audible surprises found on Our Home is a Deathbed comes with the third track, “Tide,” as we are confronted with a straight-up punk rock beat. Other odd elements of non-hardcore sounds come out in a few of the other songs featured on this effort. “Suburban Asphalt” has an indie rock feel to the instrumentation, all while Philley blasts his voice out in a true hardcore style. One thing I admire about Xerxes and their debut album is the fact that they are attempting to draw from other musical styles outside of the hardcore arena. Taking chances like that might piss off some puritans, but to people like myself it shows an attempt to keep things fresh and original.

(No Sleep Records, 16651 Gothard Street Unit E, Huntington Beach, CA 92647)

WOLVES LIKE US – Late Love

Newcomers to the American hard rock scene is Oslo Norway’s own Wolves Like Us with their debut album Late Love. Featured on this album are a collection of 10 tracks filled with pounding drum lines, melodic yet hard guitar licks, and howling vocals. While coming across as more of a hard rock album than anything else, the track “Shiver In The Heat” plays off a fast punk rock beat.


It’s quite clear that these guys can bring the rock, but it’s unfortunate to say that many of the songs feel like they follow the same formula from track to track. The vocals seem recycled as well — a little one-dimensional. I will say that the vocals are sung with conviction and gut-wrenching power, but feel played out by the middle of the album. Musically, these guys are quite good and the album is put together quite nicely, but I feel that by the fifth track the album ran its course. This might be one to check out on a streaming feed online, but not something I’d suggest picking up.

(Prosthetic Records, 11664 National Blvd. Suite 413, Los Angeles, CA 90064)

BRIDGE AND TUNNEL – Rebuilding Year

Melodic yet chaotic — Bridge and Tunnel balance the musical scales with their latest release Rebuilding Year. This collection of 10 songs run the gamut of musical expressions from one end of the spectrum to the other.


The album starts with steady paced and straight forward cut “Synchronized Swimming.” The melodic side of Bridge and Tunnel’s sound really comes out in this opening track, with its pedal and reverb effected guitars and spacy vocals. The opening track is followed up by “Harder Pill To Swallow,” another melodic track with a bit of a harder edge to the vocals. By the third cut, “Outgrowing Pains,” you’re bombarded by a faster paced track with the harshest vocals so far on the album.

Interestingly, there are breaks in this track that bring back that more mellow sound. This pretty much sums up Rebuilding Year’s feel, a delicate balance between melodic indie rock sounds and a hard edge screamo vibe. One of the more memorable cuts from this album has to be “Hands,” with guitarist and vocalist Rachel Rubino highlighting her softer and more melodic vocal range. This album really mixes it up –not predictable whatsoever. Great mix of various styles of music, all mixed and balanced nicely to end up with a really impressive effort.

(No Idea Records, PO Box 14636, Gainesville, FL 32604)

SCREAM – Complete Control Sessions

When I was filling my diapers back in 1981, the Stahl brothers were forming one of the foundational hardcore punk bands to come out of the northern Virginia/Washington, DC area. Their debut album, Still Screaming, became the first full-length albums released on Ian MacKaye‘s Dischord Records. It was later in the decade that a 17-year old drummer by the name of Dave Grohl lied his way into vacant drumming spot in the band (he said he was 20) and would go on to play drums on the band’s last two albums in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

Now, 18 years after their last album, Fumble, Scream’s original lineup have reunited and released the EP Complete Control Sessions. While Mr. Foo Fighter himself Dave Grohl is not featured on this album, he did offer up his recording studio for the album’s creation.

The seven-song EP continues the band’s artistic progression, from their hardcore beginnings, to the post-hardcore sounds of their last album. “Stopwatch” opens the album with a catchy feel and strong back-beat and leads into another straightforward cut featuring group vocals called “Get Free.”

“Jammin at 606” (“606″ referring to the name of Grohl’s recording studio) is a straight throw-back to the roots of this band. It’s fast, loud, and raw. “The Year Bald Headed Singers Were In,” oddly enough, has a Nomeansno feel (as Nomeansno’s Rob Wright is known to dawn a bald head here and there), although I’m pretty sure Rob didn’t inspire the lyrics to the song.

For only reuniting a few years ago, they sound quite tight, and Peter Stahl’s voice is still in good shape. Not bad for taking an 18-year break.

(Side One Dummy Records, 1944 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90068)

DIE AMONG HEROES – S/T

Die Among Heroes is out to prove that diversity is an appealing element in music. Remember those monster ballad ads on TV proclaiming that “every bad boy has a soft side?” It appears that the boys from Austin have taken that motto to task with this eight-track self-titled album. To be fair to the readers out there, don’t be fooled into believing this is an album full of ballads that would make Queensryche’s “Silent Lucidity” sound hard as hell, because it’s not. A majority of the music here is relatively hard but very melodic in execution. Double-bass drums are met with catchy guitar riffs and breakdowns. The diversity comes in the form of Chase Hughes’ vocals. His ability to produce piercing screams is standard protocol for this kind of music, but when a hard-hitting and guitar driven song takes a sudden acoustic turn, those screams turn into melodic soft tones — proving that a hard rock/metal album doesn’t need to be on full blast from start to end.

The interesting mix of acoustic guitar and the very catchy hard rock sound makes this album extremely appealing to a wide range of musical fans. I normally don’t care for polished mainstream rock sounds, but this album is was quite enjoyable. With its blend of soft and hard, I think Die Among Heroes have a bright future ahead of them in the mainstream rock scene.

(Die Among Heroes, C/O Dustin Young, 8111 Wexford Dr., Austin, TX 78759)

KAREN PAGE – S/T

Karen Page’s music hits you like a schizophrenic grandparent: one second they are pinching your cheek and telling you how proud they are of you, and minutes later they’re swinging a broom with hate and disgust. A barrage of rapid-fire guitar licks, thunderous beats, and ferocious vocals are met with unusual tempo changes that throw the listener a musical curve ball.

“Out of the Woodwork” and “The Icebox” open this self-titled album with a super-fast tempo and gut-wrenching vocals, gearing the listener for 13 tracks of ear-bleeding hardcore tracks.

Or so I thought.

The third track, “Your Body is a Wasteland,” dumps the hardcore beat in favor for a catchy popped-up rock sound. Interestingly, the song ends on more of a hardcore note, proving that predicting what the rest of the album was going to sound like would be an impossible task. One of the highlights of the album has to be the eighth track, “Bag of Nerves,” a great laid back piece with intervals of musical insanity. Matt Tluchowski’s vocals on this track are truly impressive due to his ability to change his range and style in an instant.

Musically, these guys are on the top of their game. I’m not usually one for “Cookie Monster” vocals, but Tluchowski’s vocals are fitting and enjoyable. The guitar work is stellar and the drumming is on point. On the surface, Karen Page appears to be another young hardcore band in a sea of hardcore bands, but digging past the surface presents a much deeper sound and style. All too often, musicians can fall into predicable modes, but it’s clear that this album will keep listeners on their toes.

(Rotten Records, PO Box 56, Upland, CA 91785)

FUCKED UP – Couple Tracks

It could be said that 2008 was a turbulent year for the high-energy act from Toronto, Ontario. Releasing the highly successful album The Chemistry of Common Life and appearing on Canadian MTV — only to have their fans (and even members of the band) all but destroy the studio — Fucked Up now look to the future by taking a look at the past with their newest release, Couple Tracks. This two-disc collection of singles stretching from 2002 to 2009 captures the real essence of this band’s sound and intensity.

Fans of the group will rejoice to the tune of this release. No need to hunt eBay for limited seven- and twelve-inches; it’s all here! Besides the released singles, there are several unreleased gems and demos to thrill the true hardcore fans.  Those new to the punk-driven sound of Father Damian and crew should dig their signature mix of hardcore vocals and catchy pop-punked guitar riffs. Interestingly, Fucked Up are regarded in most circles as a “hardcore” act, but I hear much more than just loud hardcore sounds. If anything, many of their songs have a Ramones-esque sound with a hardcore twist. Nonetheless, those who like their music rowdy and rockin’ will find this collection stimulating.

(Matador Records, 304 Hudson Street, New York, NY, 10013)

DOOMRIDERS – Darkness Come Alive

Mixing a hard and fast rock and roll sound along with splashes here and there of hardcore attitude is the latest album from Boston’s Doomriders, Darkness Come Alive. Seventeen adrenaline pumping tracks that are bound to keep the listener’s ears throbbing…but it a good way! A majority of the songs on this album could be described more along the lines of hard rock. “Heavy Lies the Crown” and “Come Alive” come across sounding heavily influenced by Danzig, while the tracks “Bloodsucker” and “Rotter” highlights the more hardcore side of this band. Overall, the musicianship here is solid and the cover is super creepy! Score one for the dark side!

(Deathwish Inc., no address provided)

RISE AND FALL – Our Circle is Vicious

Who would have thought that it would take a hardcore band from Belgium to present hardcore vocals I could actually understand? Reviewing this kind of music really puts the reviewer in a bind as far as what can be said in detail, especially if one is not an avid fan of the genre. Let’s be honest, hardcore music all tends to sound the same. In the case of Our Circle is Vicious, Rise and Fall uses elements from metal to punk and produces an album that truly impresses this novice.

As mentioned above, the vocals are actually audible. Nothing bothers me more than listening to vocals I can’t understand, a constant in the hardcore genre. “It’s a Long Way Down” is a two-minute song that truly highlights the drumming skills of Dann with its fast punk beat. With “In Circles,” they slow it down a bit but continue the unrelentingly brutal vocals of Bjorn. An interesting moment in the album comes during the instrumental track “Stillborn,” a real monkey wrench in the gears to say the least. The last thing I thought I was going to hear was a distorted drum and guitar driven instrumental (although there are some distorted vocals thrown in that are barely noticeable). The overall versatility of this band is what impresses me the most. Musically they are extremely well in tune and tight and their ability to switch up their sound throughout this album makes this a well-executed effort. Hardcore fans should rejoice.

(Deathwish Inc., no address provided)

LEWD ACTS – Black Eye Blues

Hailing from San Diego, hardcore act Lewd Acts is at it again with their new full-length Black Eye Blues. At first listen, it may sound like a typical hardcore album, but interestingly enough the lyrical content (at least what I can understand) falls closer to something much more emotional than the run-of-the mill hardcore stuff out there. The lyrics of “Who Knew The West Coast Could Be So Cold” could be dropped into any emo band’s catalogue of material and pass with flying colors.

At times, Tylure’s vocals come across sounding a bit like Tim Armstrong of Rancid, although only on a few key tracks. One of the more creative intervals of this album comes four tracks into the 11-track disc with the song “You Don’t Need Me”; this 42-second cut is filled with emotional outcries of obvious love lost and is immediately backed up with “I Don’t Need You.” No complaints musically, as these guys sound fairly tight throughout the effort. Hardcore fans should really enjoy this release. Black Eye Blues hits the streets on September 1st.

(Deathwish, Inc., no address provided)

VARIOUS ARTISTS - UNSOUND

Say goodbye to the PUNK-O-RAMA compilations and introduce yourself to its replacement, UNSOUND. In an attempt to give the Epitaph label a facelift, UNSOUND features the new breed of Epitaph bands that come with a screamo/emo sound. Hip-hop artists Sage Frances and Dangerdoom also contribute to this title. It's as though Epitaph is attempting to ride the ever-changing trend of bands having an MTV appeal (screaming 20-somethings who wear too much eye shadow). This album also includes a DVD filled with 10 music videos from bands like From First to Last and Bad Religion. Fans of the defunct PUNK-O-RAMA series should be hesitant in picking this up. Epitaph isn't the Southern California punk label it once was. Besides a few decent tracks, there isn't much worth getting excited about here.

(Review originally appeared in the July 2006 issue of Skratch Magazine)

HANK JONES - SATURDAYS OF THUNDER

There's a certain attitude hardcore bands have to live up to to be tougher than the next guy. These rules don't seem to apply to Hank Jones on their newest release, SATURDAYS OF THUNDER. Don't get me wrong, though: it's filled with hard-hitting, balls-to-the-wall rock with unmercifully harsh vocals. Those vocals from the mouth of Mike Torti are consistent throughout this effort and bring the lyrics to life with emotion and power. Normally, non-stop screaming would bug me to the point of turning it off and never going back again, but that didn't happen with this album. The guitars produce simple but exact riffs that generate a feeling of pure adrenaline. SATURDAYS OF THUNDER comes off as an honest account of what this band is about: music minus attitudes and egos. www.undecidedrecords.com

(Review originally appeared in the October 2005 issue of Skratch Magazine)