Ooooooooooooooooo baby this shit goes hard.

Everyone involved in this record put everything they had into it; the raps, the production, the grit, everything here is just raw. Push and Malice have an unwavering level of resentment towards other rappers, and this record is proof that they can fucking stand on that. So Be It goes hard on so many levels, it blows my mind. For a generation of people that missed out on Clipse, I'm glad that they came back and that they honored their past, and ... read more

CONVERGE RETROSPECTIVE #5 - Jane Doe

I could give less of a shit if you think that calling Jane Doe a masterpiece is cliche or an overplayed take. It's just so fucking good. This has by far the greatest production of any metal record period. It is so brutal but so clean. It is perfectly paced, perfectly written, perfectly performed. I really can't sing its praises high enough. There isn't really a point going song by song (because they are all fantastic), but here's all ... read more

CONVERGE RETROSPECTIVE #4 - The Poacher Diaries

For the most part, this is just more of what Converge was doing on their last two records, with a few big adjustments. As far as I know, this is the only time the band has ever used sampling, as it appears in a few of their tracks. Standout to me is My Great Devastator, it is real sludgy, which isn't something the band has done in this era yet.

I would be remiss not to mention the entire first half of the record. Agoraphobic Nosebleed ... read more

CONVERGE RETROSPECTIVE #3 - When Forever Comes Crashing

This is, in fact, another pre-Jane Doe Converge record. When it comes to improvements of Petitioning the Empty Sky, I like the production a bit more on this project, and the songwriting overall has improved. The guitar work on songs like Year of the Swine is some of my favorite Converge riffs so far. I do think I overall enjoy the roughness of Peitioning the Empty Sky a bit more (not to say When Forever Comes Crashing is polished, it is ... read more

CONVERGE RETROSPECTIVE #2 - Petitioning the Empty Sky

Here we go, baybee. When I heard a lot of people talking about Pre-Jane Doe Converge, I just assumed that every record was going to be a primitive version of what appeared on that record. While it doesn't really come close to their peak, Petitioning the Empty Sky is an excellent step forward in their sound and songwriting. The Saddest Day essentially invented Mathcore as we know it today and is excellent. There are also deeper cuts ... read more

CONVERGE RETROSPECTIVE #1 - Halo in a Haystack

It's always interesting when you go back to a band that you adore's first album and find that a very average record began the unbelievable career you love them for. All I'll say is I can see the framework for what will become one of the greatest metal bands ever. The one song that stood out to me was Two Day Romance, I think Jacob and Kurt sound the best on it, and it is one of the few songs that felt complete. Not bad by any means, ... read more

The highs are high and lows aren't that low, but a little boring, idk. This is my first exposure to Spiritbox, and I do like everything here. I guess the thing that would make me like this more is more "moments", things that stand out. Songs like Fata Morgana and Soft Spine are the best examples of these "moments," and I just wish other points of the album matched that hype. Still really good.

I think this record is good, I really do. My issues with it more have to do with weird pacing issues (why is the majority of LOOK OUT FOR ME a weird edm jam when the meat of the song is so damn good) and just the fact that I wish they went more in the hardcore route then the indie route. I thought GLOW ON was the best synthesis of the two, and NEVER ENOUGH is a slight unbalancing of that synthesis. Once again, it is still really good, I just can't help being a little disappointed.

Another banger from Gira and the boys, what can I say?

Damn I think I may like this more than The Seer. The first 3 songs alone would be considered one of the best Swans albums, and the second half ties up the sonic and thematic elements of the album. The Merge is an insane song that began with weird crashing synths that completely threw me off, but it contributes to the pacing of the record, which is so impressive that a nearly 2-hour album never lost my attention.

billy woods does it again. The theming and storytelling on this record are some of his most consistent. billy woods always deals in dark subject matter, and the production from the many featured producers matches that darkness. The poetry on this project transcends most modern rap. It's just so damn good. Best songs are Misery, Corinthians, and A Doll Fulla Pins.

It's a pretty fun, hardcore record. I like the random jazz interlude; it adds a nice break between the, albeit similar-sounding, songs. My favorite song is Lost, I'm a sucker for heavy bass intros (which is why my favorite Hatebreed track is Burial for the Living.) Bad Beatdown and My Revenge are also pretty good. Not much to say, just pretty solid.

It's hard to separate my love for this band from the actual quality of this live album, but I mean c'mon it's so damn good. I loved the versions of Why, Tropical Beaches Inc, Cut, and Dallas Beltway. And I even found versions that I prefer over the originals, like Rainbow Meat and Anywhere. The band sounds huge, the bass is incredible, and I really liked the inter-song banter; it made the depressing lyrical content a bit more light. I would recommend this to any fan of Chat Pile, ... read more

Easily one of the most exciting bands working. After checking out the phenomenal Celebrity Therapist, I didn't really know where The Callous Daoboys could go next. Turns out, it's somehow more melodic and heavier at the exact same time. I had mentioned this in my review of their last LP; the effortless groove switches are something to marvel at, and I Don't Want To See You In Heaven has that in spades. There are so many interesting pockets this band dives headfirst into that ... read more

As someone who discovered Model/Actriz when Dogsbody came out 2 years ago, this is definitely a different direction than what I had come to expect from the band. This is not to say I disliked Pirouette, far from it. The paranoia and fear are a lot more subtle on this project. Instead of the abrasiveness coming from the production, it instead comes from the more detailed story outlined in tracks like Cinderella and Headlights. Still a phenomenal showing from this group, and I continue to be ... read more

Sometimes all you need is a few heavy ass riffs and straight edge callouts. The Knocked Loose boys do some impressive shit on this but the power of this EP is a singular one. It doesn't rely on Brian or Isaac, which proves the strength of the songwriting. Very fun, very quick, wish we could get a full project by these guys in the future.

I can only assume this will be a project that will grow on me after multiple listens, but as it stands, this is another great entry in BC,NR's discography. Something that BC,NR have always been great at is their instrumentation. It really is worth it. The songwriting really is different without Isaac Wood present, but it's not worse. I'd even go as far as to say it is more diverse. It's a really solid project.

5 years in the making my ass

While it's not bad, it's still ridiculously disappointing. The features feel more like jingling keys to distract the listener from just how repetitive these songs are. And 30 songs on an album like this is criminal. If this were like 15 we could have had a good time, but the unbelievable amount of filler is just too much to bear. At least it doesn't actively make me want to stop listening to it. Call that a plus if you want.

This is the nerdiest type of music out there and I am all for it. The constant switching of groove and melody makes these songs feel like they are going a mile a minute, and yet there is still excellent songwriting and composition. The complexity does not distract from the artistry. I am really excited for their new record and I hope it can rival the good time I had checking this project out.

The first thing I heard from Ghais Guevara was his excellent BlackBolshevik mixtape that got me so hooked on his sound, I was waiting and waiting for whenever he would drop next. And lo and behind he has given us a phenomenal debut LP. As soon as The Old Guard Is Dead starts, you know you are in for a good time. The heavy beat with the most effortless production to boot, it's all there. Then you got the beat switch in I Gazed Upon The Trap With Ambition, the great features by E L U C I D, ... read more

Ridiculously good pop record. From the beginning of the title track, I knew I was in for some good times. It is so texturally interesting in all aspects, from the tender notes of the title track to the abrasion of the end of Sticky, it's just so interesting. And Girl Feels Good is like the best Massive Attack song you haven't heard yet. I do really like Childlike Things (up until North West opens her mouth) and Drums of Death is so interesting and good. It is not hard to see that this ... read more