NickShutter

 In 1971, United States president Richard Nixon declared a "War on Drugs." The true purpose of this so-called "war," however, had little to do with curbing drug use. Its true purpose was significantly more nefarious; The mass targeting and imprisonment of the anti-war leftists ("hippies") and black Americans was its true purpose, according to Nixon official John Ehrlichman.¹ ² In a conspiracy uncovered by journalist Gary Webb, the CIA planted ... read more

 Daniel Graves has, for better or worse, changed up Aesthetic Perfection's sound for nearly every album. While I admire it when an artist experiments and refuses to repeat themselves too often, sometimes it just doesn't turn out right. Case in point, Aesthetic Perfection's new(ish) single LAX.

 I loved A Violent Emotion, with its raw, visceral, high-pitched growls and its impressive blending of aggression and melody. During this time, however, Daniel Graves noticed that the way he was ... read more

 The Autumn Effect is the most well-known album by 10 Years, an alternative band from the United States that made it big for a little while with the song "Wasteland." Remember that song? You probably do if you're a North American my age, since it was played on the radio quite often back in the mid-2000s. Rightfully so, I might add—it's pretty well-written and holds up even now. At least, to me.

 But how does the album hold up? In a way, nearly every song here is a ... read more

 Guitar Vader's big first break was when ten of their songs appeared in the Japan-exclusive video game Roommania #203. Their fanbase expanded, and the band capitalized on this with Die Happy!, a compilation of their previously-released material. It was this release that led Hideki Naganuma, a director and producer of music working at SEGA, to discover the band and include two of their songs in the successful Dreamcast game Jet Grind Radio: "Magical Girl" and "Super ... read more