Tag Archives: alternative

ALBUM REVIEW: Drill For Absentee – Strand of a Lake, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 – Expert Work Records

Posted on by

Drill For Absentee are a Philadelphia trio whose original run lasted from 1995 to 1999. Their catalogue is hardly the most extensive. Since their 2021 covid era reunion the band, Kevin Kelly – Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Michael Nace – Guitar, Vocals and new Drummer Ken Kuniyoshi (replacing co-founding member Bryan Sargent) have been busy in the recording studio. What they’ve come up with are two EP’s which have been put together as one LP (Note – Vol. 1 was put out digitally on September 13, 2022) while Vol 2 was forged between August 2022 to March 2025, out now via Expert Work Records. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Ailise Blake – Soave

Posted on by

For Alice Ronzini (better known as Ailise Blake in her current musical guise) the visual component of her art is no incidental afterthought. Indeed the cover photo of her latest record Soave (These Hands Melt), with Blake sitting on a wooden frame, her face obscured, grass and trees around her, very well captures the mysterious, paganistic atmosphere of the music contained within. Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: THE MON – Songs of Abandon

Posted on by

In a way, every album has a story. In the case of Songs of Abandon (Supernatural Cat Records) though, the latest release from solo project THE MON, the story is a specific and unique one. Several years ago, Urlo (bass player and vocalist for doomy, heavy-rock unit Ufomammut) decided to try writing nine songs, each one in a day—just himself and an acoustic guitar. Fast forward to 2025 and Songs of Abandon comes as the first part of a two-album concept: Embrace The Abandon (to be followed by Songs of Embrace in the new year). The result is an intimate and eerie collection that favours subtlety over sonic extremes, while maintaining an understated power.

Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Insomniac – Om Moksha Ritam

Posted on by

Atlanta’s Insomniac brings the surreal sounds of the early nineties back to life on Om Moksha Ritam (Blues Funeral Recordings). These guys drape brooding baritone vocal lines over layers of atmospheric guitar that swell into big sludge-tinged riffs of epic proportions. On a song like “Mountain,” the twin guitar attack is a dizzying affair that accelerates in an almost Mastodon-like manner. Deceased drummer Amos Rikin keeps the cymbals crashing with enough gusto to move their hypnotic riffage with locomotive momentum. This reaches peak heaviness for these guys when harsher growls roar up from the back of the mix to accent the punchy chugs.Continue reading →


PODCAST: Glacially Musical 240 – Beastie Boys “Check Your Head” Full Album Review

Posted on by

Nik and Keefy get their Don back to resume our series on Beastie Boys! “Check Your Head” is a generational album, and we explore why no two of their albums sound alike.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Moon Destroys – She Walks By Moonlight

Posted on by

Moon Destroys is debuting their self-produced full-length album, She Walks By Moonlight (Limited Fanfare Records). The band is the brainchild of guitarist Juan Montoya (ex-Torche, MonstrO) and drummer Evan Diprima (Gold Pyramid, ex-Royal Thunder). Having released their 2020 EP, Maiden Voyage, they’ve spent the past few years refining their sound—crafting a powerhouse blend of heavy rock and psychedelia. This album will resonate with fans of bands like Elder, Kyuss, Earthless, and Fu Manchu.  Continue reading →


EP REVIEW: Iron Form – Cut From Cold Blood – Church Road Records 

Posted on by

The new EP from Church Road Records artists Iron Form titled Cut From Cold Blood is a five-piece band showing off their musical influences and technical merit. Another example of a band breaking through genres by just playing what comes naturally to them in their songwriting process.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Kelsy Karter And The Heroines – Love Made Me Do It

Posted on by

As soon as it became clear what Kelsy Karter And The Heroines were all about, I knew I was in for a joyride like no other, and I was ready as ever to be completely immersed in it.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Mogwai – The Bad Fire

Posted on by

 

Robert Smith once called these guys his favorite band and it is easy to hear why. Eleven albums into their career, Mogwai has a clear focus on their sonic journey on The Bad Fire (Rock Action Records). Vocals appear right from the first song, serving as a smooth texture that sits in the swirl of sound. Things get more into their older bran of majestic melancholy on the second song. It’s less pop-oriented than the opening track. If you came here wanting post-rock this is the song for you. “What Kind of a Mix is This” feels like it just spills out from the end of the lingering ebb of the previous song. It takes a minute for a guitar melody to establish the song’s footing.Continue reading →


ALBUM REVIEW: Amerta – Nodus Tollens

Posted on by

As a result of years of persistence and hard work in exploring the immense depths of their own resonances, Jakarta-based post/sludge/power metal collective Amerta embarks on a new profound milestone through the release of their first full-length entitled Nodus Tollens (Self-Released). Through this release, this Indonesian multi-genre unit invites their listeners to venture on an enigmatic journey fueled by existential dread, contemplations, and the inner conflicts that mankind collectively faces against the banality of everyday chaos and mayhem in the form of an in-depth listening experience. Continue reading →