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In any number of interviews, Melvins mastermind Buzz Osborne has stated that since the band has achieved EVERY goal he has set for the band, anything going forward is a bonus. That means, art wise, the band is truly untethered to fan expectations, financial goal posts, and even the internal concept of what a Melvins album “should be.” Perhaps paradoxically, this might be the main thing that has kept people interested in the Melvins and has granted them longevity. Not as paradoxically, it is the exact reason why their art is exciting and not the same album 14 times in a row- I love Motorhead, I love Ac/DC, but does anyone really care about Hammered or Stiff Upper Lip. Yet, I DO care about...

Punk rock's NOFX pin yet another tail onto their long winded farewell horse with the Half Album extended play. The record opens with piano and vocal introduction a-la Wolves in Wolves' Clothing's "60%" with "Fake-a-Wish Foundation," a direct response to the long-time fan and inspiration of Single Album's "My Bro Cancervive Cancer." Who, turns out, completely fabricated his cancer diagnosis to meet his punk rock heroes and score free merch. Following the covering of bases, "I'm a Rat," a tune Fat Mike wrote originally for a Hi-Standard single last year is (covered?) next, and is begrudgingly the most "Classic NOFX" sounding song of the EP, complete with lightning fast double-time by drumme...

This is another review that I’ve had to look into the band’s listenership before starting, in order to get a feel for how well-known they are. They never come up in conversations I have with my immediate music circle, but they’re not representative of the wider populace, I’ll concede. What’s unusual about Eidola is their ability to wield melody with such obvious talent, but to twin it with heaviness and complexity that makes them pretty much impenetrable to the mainstream. Aesthetically, they could surely slide into a role at least alongside the recent “baddiecore” phenomenon if they wanted? I’ll grant you they don’t necessarily have the ‘newness’ factor of those other ...

Full transparency, I’ve been a fan of High on Fire since 2005’s Blessed Black Wings. In fact, it was possibly one of the first ‘extreme’ metal records I truly loved. Along with Mastodon’s Leviathan, it dragged me back into the murky depths of the heavier music that I had briefly abandoned in my late teens in favour of the shit being played in bars and clubs for a few years. Ironically, those were the really dark days. So when this record was announced, the band’s first since 2018’s (Grammy-winning) Electric Messiah, I was obviously excited. Then, truth be told, I was a bit anxious. Because although the band’s sound has varied somewhat over the last couple of decades, with ...

When I first got wind of Teens in Trouble, I figured this was a band with potential. Throw in a label like Asian Man Records for your debut, well, you know much more intelligent people than myself think the same. And make no mistake, What's Mine is a huge missive that is sure to kick off even greater things for this band.With roots in Raleigh, Lizzie Killian (vocalist/guitarist) assembles quite a unit for this album. Kindred spirits flock together. One example is PUP's Stefan Babcock. He offers his guitar skills and backup vocals on the opening track "You Don't Want To Mess With Me" -- the irony being, this isn't the most PUP-ish track on the album. Instead, it's a fuzz-pop indie gem that f...