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Reviews

1607 found · Page 12 of 67

8.6

Album review

No Joy

Spanish Love Songs

The title No Joy sets up a harsher experience than Spanish Love Songs actually deliver. Their writing still has plenty of dread, but the music opens windows around it. Synthes…

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8.9

Album review

The End of Heartache

Killswitch Engage

Howard Jones gives The End of Heartache a striking vocal center. His clean singing has a broad, rounded power, while his harsher delivery remains severe enough to match the gu…

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8.0

Album review

Karma and Effect

Seether

Remedy is a very efficient Seether song. A firm riff, Shaun Morgan's strained voice and a chorus that arrives with enough lift to make the frustration feel almost enjoyable. K…

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8.2

Album review

A Southern Gothic

Adia Victoria

On A Southern Gothic, Adia Victoria examines her connection to the American South. It offers a sense of belonging while carrying a difficult history. The music keeps both side…

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8.9

Album review

Celestial Lineage

Wolves in the Throne Room

Celestial Lineage expands Wolves in the Throne Room's music without losing its rough core. Guitars, rapid drums and a harsh voice remain important, joined by more keyboards, c…

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9.0

Album review

Thirteenth Step

A Perfect Circle

Thirteenth Step understands the tension in a quiet voice. Maynard James Keenan often sings close to a whisper, but the music around him makes that restraint feel charged. A Pe…

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7.8

Album review

Progress

Ultraspank

Progress gives Ultraspank's heavy guitar sound a strong melodic centre. Pete Murray's singing can rise above the substantial riffs, while smaller electronic touches add atmosp…

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8.1

Album review

-!-

Dead Poet Society

Dead Poet Society build much of -!-'s appeal around a striking difference in register. Jack Underkofler can move easily into a high falsetto, while the low-tuned guitar parts …

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8.8

Album review

After Forever

After Forever

After Forever bring their different strengths together convincingly on this self-titled 2007 album. They can play heavy, direct metal, introduce grand orchestral arrangements …

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9.0

Album review

You Are We

While She Sleeps

The title track of You Are We makes its intention clear through the voices. Harsh lead lines, rough melodic hooks and collective shouts all take part in the same argument, giv…

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8.3

Album review

STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS

FEVER 333

STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS has enough anger to fill an entire album, but FEVER 333 take it further. The band connect heavy guitars and rap with melodic choruses, electronic rhythms…

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8.8

Album review

Guided Tour

High Vis

High Vis make an interesting kind of invitation. The guitars on Guided Tour can be bright enough to welcome almost anyone in, while Graham Sayle sounds like he has an urgent p…

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8.0

Album review

Karibu

Lionel Loueke

Karibu shows how easily complicated music can move. Lionel Loueke plays with bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth, forming a trio with considerable trust. His gu…

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8.8

Album review

Lightbulb Sun

Porcupine Tree

A song as restrained as Feel So Low can be a more unsettling ending than a grand finale. Lightbulb Sun closes by reducing its scale, letting a damaged relationship hang in the…

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8.4

Album review

Casino

Al Di Meola

Casino is a guitar record with plenty of speed, but its appeal reaches beyond the number of notes Al Di Meola can fit into a phrase. Latin rhythms, electric intensity and acou…

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6.7

Album review

Cavalier Youth

You Me at Six

You Me at Six make their intentions easy to hear on Cavalier Youth. The choruses are large, Josh Franceschi sings clearly above the band, and almost every arrangement points t…

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8.0

Album review

Untitled

Five Pointe O

Untitled gives its heavy guitar sound a dramatic character through keyboards and a restless vocal performance. Five Pointe O combine cleaner singing, screaming and lower growl…

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9.6

Album review

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

The riffs on Paranoid are famous enough to seem obvious, but Black Sabbath make them feel remarkably unsettled. Tony Iommi's guitar figures leave spaces that Geezer Butler and…

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7.5

Album review

VOL. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR

HEALTH

VOL. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR gives HEALTH a heavier, darker sound. Drums hit hard, electronic textures scrape, and guitars provide short, firm accents. Jake Duzsik's soft voice re…

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7.4

Album review

Legends

Sabaton

Sabaton broaden their history lesson on Legends. The focus moves beyond the world wars to individual figures from much earlier periods, while the music keeps the marching rhyt…

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8.1

Album review

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Nothing More

The Stories We Tell Ourselves combines direct hard rock songs with a more elaborate surrounding structure. Nothing More use electronic textures, spoken interludes and changes …

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7.7

Album review

Something Like Human

Fuel

Brett Scallions gives Something Like Human its human centre. His voice can sound bruised without losing its pitch or purpose, which matters when the band around him plays with…

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8.5

Album review

PUP

PUP

PUP make a rough entrance and then keep revealing how much control sits underneath it. Their self-titled album is packed with shouted hooks and distorted guitar, but the songs…

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