Label: 316 Productions Released: 2007 At their best, Seizure Crypt is a rehash of 80s New York hardcore, wavering between its earlier thin punk and later more metallic veins. Those high points are energetic, aggressive songs with the typical trappings of the genre: unbridled speed alternating with slow churning grooves, metallic riffs, growls, infectious anger. Both “The Deadend” and “Thankless”… Read more »
Label: Released: October 9, 2007 While the resumes of some members the Mystix may look impressive (Jerry Lee Lewis, Ben E King, Peter Wolf, even studio work at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals), don’t be fooled. This is a group of session players, not a real band. They do play well together as session players often do, but there is… Read more »
Label: Break a Leg Entertainment Released: October 24, 2007 Going into this review, I was under the impression that Helsinki’s Hellcity 13 was just another Scandanavian glam band, but unlike the rest, they don’t just want to revive hair metal, they want to revive the 80s almost as a whole. There is hard rock bombast that runs throughout the album,… Read more »
Label: July 10, 2007 Released: Eschatone Records The Hanslick Rebellion was once heralded as “possibly the finest band to ever call Albany home” (by a writer from the local paper). I suppose that might be true, but it’s still not much of a case for greatness. Neither is the re-issue of this ten-plus-year-old live recording. Back in the 90s, the… Read more »
Label: Black Hen Music Released: September 24, 2007 When gospel music is on, there’s almost nothing that can touch it, but when it’s off, it’s an awfully tough listen. When I first read about the Sojourners’ Hold On, I was intrigued. Here was a trio singing traditional gospel in a traditional style rather than the R&B for Jesus that typically… Read more »
Label: Ecstatic Peace Released: July 17, 2007 Most of Turbo Fruits’ self-titled album’s strengths and weaknesses can be summarized by simply reviewing one song, their cover of the MC5’s cover of “Ramblin’ Rose.” Both versions attempt to release enormous energy on the listener in the same way that an atomic bomb releases it’s energy on a target. It takes a… Read more »
Label: Action Rezults Records (Available from CD Baby) Released: 2007 To some extent, D’Edwin can get away with his unabashed mimicking of Morrissey, because he hasn’t graduated into the big leagues yet, but there has to be some substance to his music beyond a good Morrissey impression. On No Prognosis, that substance is erratic at best. The opening track, “Secret… Read more »
Label: self-released Released: 2007 The Underground Rebels have a decent hard rock pedigree featuring former Faster Pussycat guitarist Brent Muscat and former Cult drummer Lez Warner, but the band is really the creative (or not so creative) child of singer/guitarist Kurt Frohlich. Those expecting the swagger of Faster Pussycat or gritty hard rock of Electric-era Cult, beware, because this album… Read more »
Label: Shout! Factory Released: August 21, 2007 John Lennon once said, “If there wasn’t a fight, it wasn’t a good gig.” So, what is it if no one even moves? Lennon was clearly arguing that a sterile show is never good and sterility is exactly the problem with SXSW Live 2007. The DVD is a collection of songs from shows… Read more »
Label: Locomotive Records Released: July 17, 2007 For a genre that has produced some of rock’s most creative movements, punk has also produced more than its fair share of covers. From cover albums to cover bands, it seems that every time I turn around, there’s another punk cover out there. While some of these have been very clever, most of… Read more »