Two things remain certain when it comes to Texas pop-punk veterans Bowling For Soup: the band is wonderfully self-aware, and they remain the undisputed champions when it comes to bridges.Continue reading
Tag Archives: punk rock
ALBUM REVIEW: Short Stack – Maybe There’s No Heaven
Australian pop-rock trio Short Stack have put out their fifth studio album Maybe There’s No Heaven (UNFD), using it as a means to tell the story of their career ups and downs and love lives since their debut Stack Is The New Black in 2009. Though it has its faults, punchy choruses and exhilarating instrumentals come and go to keep it worth hearing more. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Drug Church – Hygiene
Drug Church have become somewhat of a cult band over the past few years since the release of their seminal album, Cheer back in 2018. The question on everyone’s lips is whether they can keep up their momentum with their fourth album, Hygiene (Pure Noise).
ALBUM REVIEW: Toxpack – Zwanzig. Tausend Volt
Do you like music that will make you happy? Do you want to head bang and pogo and raise a glass to your mates? Do you like singing at the top of your lungs in sheer unadulterated glee? Then Toxpack’s offering of Zwanzig. Tausend Volt (Napalm Records) is the album you have been waiting for. Zwanzig. Tousend Volt is fun, light-hearted, fast paced and utterly engaging.
ALBUM REVIEW: Billy Talent – Crisis of Faith
If a change is as good as a rest, is a rest as good as a change? It has been over five years since the undistinguished Afraid of Heights (Warner Music) and over two years since the first single from this album, ‘Forgiveness I + II’. While delays could be justifiable and chalked up to the pandemic, the question is, on their sixth album and first for Spinefarm, are Canadian punk troupe Billy Talent facing their own Crisis of Faith and confidence?
ALBUM REVIEW: The Bronx – Bronx XI
Despite 19 years in the business, American punk rockers The Bronx’s new album Bronx VI (Cooking Vinyl) is just as energetic and full on as ever. This is the sixth record – funnily enough – from the L.A. based quintet and ‘White Shadow’ starts things off with a bang; a tone setting blast of snappy punk, bristling with pace and swagger.
LIVESTREAM REVIEW: The Melvins – Melvins TV Volume 3: Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
After a year and change of no live shows, every single band on the planet has got to adapt themselves into the world of live streaming. The few live stream concerts I’ve seen have portrayed each band’s unique style and vision, but none as bizarre as The Melvins’ Volume 3: Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! which aired last Saturday, May 1st. The complete show is exactly what you would expect from this legendary band. The live stream started with acoustic versions of ‘Dark Brown Teeth’, a King Buzzo cover, and ‘Up The Dumper’. The most interesting and funny aspect of this particular live stream is that it felt like you were hanging out with the band in between songs. Each transition from song to song had a small interview that started with the whole band, then with Buzz Osborne, followed by Steven McDonald, and finishing with Dale Crover. Each interview featured hilarious stories of the band and their lives that covered the usage of masks to, of course, weed. The overall performance of the band was superb with a sound the sound quality you would expect from a band like The Melvins and the visuals were in the more psychedelic side that went along well with each of the played tracks. Overall this was a fun and refreshing way of conducting a live stream event and one that only sets up for the upcoming return of live shows.Continue reading
Punk Rock Icon Sylvain Sylvain of New York Dolls Has Died, Age 69
Sad news to report as Punk Rock and global fashion icon of the New York Dolls legend Sylvan Sylvan has died. He was just 69 years old. He had been suffering from cancer for several years. After initially emigrating from Cairo, Egypt with his family as a child, Sylvan, born David Sylvan, grew up in Queens, New York where he got his musical start in the band Actress with several other New York Dolls members. He also co-founded a fashion brand while still a youth, pioneering the proto-glam style that defied convention, upended gender norms, and innovated with style. Forming the Dolls, Sylvan played guitar for the duration of the band from 1971-1977, led other bands, frequently collaborated with Dolls frontman David Johansen, and much more. He was an integral member of the fledgling Punk scene in New York. We send our sympathy out to Sylvain’s family, friends, and fans at this time.
ALBUM REVIEW: Venom Prison – Primeval
2015 proved to be a productive year for the Russian/Welsh act, Venom Prison when they released not one, but two EPs. Their ambition has continued to grow since then by deftly demonstrating the cunning and extreme of their Modern Death Metal sound. This budding band made noticeable waves in the scene when they released their second full-length, Samsara (Prosthetic Records) last year. Vocalist Larissa Stupar presented this rare rage that she and the whole band developed into a massive, contagious fury. Now, these guys are ready to exhibit how much they’ve grown in the last five years. Primeval (Prosthetic Records) is a compilation of their first two Eps re-recorded and reinvigorated.
ALBUM REVIEW: Corey Taylor – CMFT
Metal heavyweight Corey Taylor has officially made his solo debut with the release of a full record. This new space has granted him the freedom to create songs you’d never find on a Slipknot record, for better or for worse. If you follow Taylor’s career exclusively because of Slipknot, CMFT (Roadrunner) might not be worth your time. But, for fans of Stone Sour, the collection of different hard rock styles and adjacent alternative influences are sure to please. Continue reading