 3 Mile Scream
A Prelude To Our Demise
4/5
Who It’s For: Metalheads
Sounds Like: Megadeth, In Flames, Unearth, Kataklysm
Yet another competent metal band from Canada (namely Montreal) can throw their hat into the metal game now. If you like metal, then you just might love 3 Mile Scream. Running the gamut when it comes to influences, 3 Mile Scream has put together quite the metallic effort. Hints of old school thrash, black metal, hardcore/metalcore, melodic death, and power metal permeate the album. You’ll get breakdowns, blast beats, screams, shrieks, singing, double kick destruction, and shred. A Prelude To Our Demise somehow comes together while still having a disjointed, A.D.D. feel. It almost seems as if 3MS can’t decide what band they want to be, and the second before it becomes monotonous, they come up with something just brilliant enough to keep you hooked like a good drug dealer might.
- Michael Kopko
 Bergraven
S/T
4/5
Who It’s For: Extreme metal fans with a taste for adventure and a bit of patience.
Sounds Like: Mayhem, Pelican, & Anathema
Well, this a bit of a surprise coming from Hydra Head. At first glance, Sweden’s Bergraven truly are an oddity on this label. At their core, Bergraven are a black metal band, but look deeper and you’ll see that there is so much more. Throwing out the tired and well worn 100 mile-an-hour riffing normally expected in this type of music, Bergraven instead opt for slow building openings layered with sound effects, causing songs to build slowly, making them much more atmospheric and effective. Fusing traditional black metal’s ferocity with the titanically slow moving dirges of bands like Pelican, Bergraven have not only managed to create a unique sound all their own, but have proven that there is still much life in both genres.
- Spencer Lavigne
 The Bravery
The Sun And The Moon
3/5
Who It’s For: Killers fans, Franz Ferdinand fans, and any other band like that.
Sounds Like: That British inspired rock that is oh so popular.
The Bravery gained widespread popularity when there were loads of bands that had almost the exact same sound. They have always seemed like the cooler indie version of all of the other super-radio friendly British inspired bands. Now that those other bands have moved on The Bravery is the only band that seems to have stuck to their roots. These New York boys have stayed true to the sound that made them popular. The disc does feel a bit repetitive if you aren’t in the mood, but overall it’s solid. Since it’s not what they are known for, the slower tracks really shine. Sam Endicott has a surprisingly sweet and sincere voice that lends itself well to the soft tracks. Because we’ve all heard most of it done before, the slow songs stand out. But the faster tracks are still good to mix it up and give it some flavour.
- Stephanie Joudrey
 Dear Black Diary
S/T
4.5/5
Who It’s For: Anyone who needs their socks rocked off.
Sounds Like: Red Chord, Cephalic Carnage, and Locust
In this day and age where we are saturated with nothing but hardcore and ironic metal bands, Dear Black Diary come off like a breath of fresh air in a crematorium.
Part grindcore and part hardcore, DBD blend stop/start rhythms with vocals that alternate between a shriek and a bellow; along with an almost spiteful sense humour; making them truly stand out in the current musical landscape. Highly technical and utterly unrelenting, DBD manage to sound much bigger and much meaner than the rest of their contemporaries, without even trying.
- Spencer Lavigne
 Fiction Plane
Left Side of the Brain
4.5/5
Who It’s For: Fantastic rock music
Sounds Like: Awesome
No doubt about it: Fiction Plane is destined for great things. The most recent effort by the trio encompasses so many aspects of a genuinely talented, solid rock group that they deserve nothing but props for their diversity and range in sound. The first single, “Two Sisters,” is a hard-hitting, decidedly Police reminiscent tune, perhaps playing on the vocal similarities between lead singer Joe Sumner and his daddy Sting. But there is no leeching of a famous name here; every song on the album has its own place and unique vibe that makes listening enjoyable on so many levels.
Songs like the melancholy “Drink” and slow-paced “It’s A Lie” exhibit Sumner’s unabashed vocal confidence, making certain songs feel as though they were recorded live by the sheer power of his tone. “Cross the Line” has a psychedelic guitar and drum solo that tears the song into two separate entities entirely, making it a very intriguing listen. The two standout tracks, “Presuppose” and “Fake Light from the Sun,” are incredibly moving songs, taking the listener on a melodic ride that has so many peaks that they’re almost strenuous to listen to (in a very good way). All in all, this album should be purchased as a damn good addition to any music lovers’ collection.
- Kate Davis
 Graveworm
Collateral Defect
4/5
Who It’s For: Those morbid, grim, and kult dudes you know and love
Sounds Like: Cannibal Corpse, Dimmu Borgir, Bleeding Through
Back with a vengeance and letting up any steam from their 2005 disc (N)utopia, Italy’s Graveworm means business once again. An unrelenting blackened death metal attack from start to finish, the album has some very catchy moments, namely, the cover of Bonne Tyler’s “I Need A Hero” (you’ll know the song when the piano intro kicks in), and the newly included melodic vocals on some tracks (“Fragile Side”). Along with the odd singing, the album contains some bounce here and there a la metalcore- this combined with the varied screamed/yelled/growled vocals, makes for some catchy parts, even for a black metal band. One true fault of the ten-track album is that the first and last songs serve as an intro and an outro, respectively, making for a somewhat short listen. The instrumental outro of the album “Memories” has a very spacey, prog feel to it, which adds another interesting facet to Graveworm. A solid listen all the way through, this disc may win the band some new fans.
- Michael Kopko
 Keepin’ 6
Uncensored
3.7/5
Who It’s For: 12 year old “ska” fans
Sounds Like: A confusing mish mash of potential and youthful innocence.
There’s a few key elements to ska punk (“skunk,” if you will) and the formula is easy to replicate, the skunks that stick around and make a commotion are the ones twisting things up. It could be incendiary lyrical work, or the typical excitement that ensues when mixing genres… but ska has some rules you see. Ska is a genre not easily mixed, a bit starchy, so when bands do start to fuck with the coordinates, they better know what they’re doing. Good news is Applewood, Ontario’s Keepin’ 6 are heading in the right direction, bad news is… they’re taking a while to get there.
For an independent ska band they’ve done a stellar job at getting themselves out there, playing numerous shows with The Johnstones and frequenting small cities, but do they have the recorded work to back their energetic live shows up? Well, kinda sorta yeah. The production is cleaner than clean, and songs like “Illusion” or “Forget It…” really benefit, but as the CD progresses and you get the feeling you want to see them play (really badly), you start to realize… you’ve heard this all before. Sure, sure, one could argue “Look @ Whatcha Got” is rockier than the rest, but when Bryan Hotchkiss’ vocals start sounding Billy Talent-esque, you’ll notice this isn’t something to be so proud of. Other moments where they change things up do arrive but not with a bang, so you’d be forgiven for not noticing. Uncensored is a fun ska album for those who have yet to hear of the Planet Smashers and Less Than Jake.
- Sari Delmar
 What’s He Building In There?
S/T
4/5
Who It’s For: Anyone who needs something very different from what’s out there.
Sounds Like: Glassjaw, Yakuza, and 5 Point O
Wow, I sure didn’t see this one coming. When I was given a copy this disc by Waterloo’s own What’s He Building In There? I didn’t have any idea what to expect. Even if you had warned me I wouldn’t have believed you. Mixing almost every possible genre and instrument you can think of, WHBIT creates a sort of audio psychosis that totally envelopes and surrounds the listener like a straight jacket. Totally unpredictable, the rhythms, vocal style, and even the instrumentation, all change in a moments notice with a fluidity that is as impressive as it is frightening. Everything from a guttural scream to a harmony with a saxophone and beyond, variety is the name of their sick little game here.
They even manage to slip from hardcore to prog-rock if you can believe it.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for the same old thing, stay far away from this, but if you’re feeling adventurous, give it a shot.
You just might realize the truth is out there. Way out there.
- Spencer Lavigne
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 The Aggrolites
Reggae Hit L.A.
4/5
Who It’s For: Reggae lovers or anyone who needs tunes for the beach
Sounds Like: Great, great reggae
The Aggrolites really took the music world by storm and has become every insider’s new favourite band even if you haven’t heard of them yet. Reggae Hit L.A. is coming out at the perfect time and is the perfect summer album. It’s got energy and a vibe that is infectious. This isn’t like their previous self-titled disc though. It’s like they have taken on a whole new type of reggae and pulled it off with just as much skill. Vocalist Jesse Wagner doesn’t even sound like the same singer on some tracks but his voice sounds even better than it did before. Reggae Hit L.A. does feel very long to sit through on a regular day, but that makes it perfect for a summer road trip or day at the cottage or beach. It’s got a feel that takes you away from the every day.
- Stephanie Joudrey
 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Baby 81
3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival was from San Francisco but most of the population would assume they are a Virginia export. This is the same with San Francisco’s Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; you’d think they were from Manchester, England. Baby 81 is a digital melting pot of homage based around the teachings of early 90’s blues based British rock. Whereas before their music was a dark and sensitive influenced by Joy Division, Baby 81 is more punchy and tough with a drunken blues feel like something you’d expect from The Stone Roses.
“Took Out A Loan” is a song that makes you raise your head for a moment when you think it’s “Love Spreads” but realize it’s not. Baby 81’s Beatles influence shines through on the song “Window” which may as well be the hidden track from the White Album. The record holds your attention through the array of different songs and combined with the simple song writing BMRC have sustained their revivalist trend for one more record at least for the masses to enjoy. Apologies to the stoner hipsters of the world but these guys are going to be on the radio more.
- Jackson Main
 Chromeo
Fancy Footwork
2.5/5
Who It’s For: People who wear tight jeans and scarves around their necks and bleach sections of their hair. Also, people who go to The Social in Toronto and talk about how this band is SO awesome.
Sounds Like: Stupid Daft Punk.
I don’t know if I’m supposed to be reviewing this. I’m afraid all the dance party hipsters will get mad at me if I say Chromeo’s album is dumb… but it is. However the dumb description is not necessarily a bad label, in this case the word dumb defines unbridled fun. Chromeo’s sound is overtly fashionable and possibly a little forced in their electro dance creations fusing electric guitar, drum machines and vocoders with a definite cribbing of Daft Punk (I think. Maybe Daft Punk are too big to site as an influence, do I seem as though I know nothing? Are Daft Punk in fact ripping off groups like this? I honestly don’t know.) Coming from someone who can’t dance in any sort of fashionable sense this record is built for fashionable dancing. It’s a reissue of late 80’s club scene disco and oozes coke and sweat as it stomps out funk fused with sharp melodies in every song. Oh and Michael Jackson makes an appearance on the record too. Actually he didn’t but it sounds like his bass lines do.
- Jackson Main
 Faber Drive
Seven Second Surgery
2.5/5
Who It’s For: The new generation of pop punk fans
Sounds Like: Poppy rock
We used to have Simple Plan filling pre-teens stereos and now we have this new brand of pop rock. Bands like Faber Drive have come out to deliver a more mature brand of pop punk/rock that isn’t going to hurt parents’ ears. While Faber Drive is clearly music for teens, they have a more mature sound that is acceptable to anyone. Frontman Faber doesn’t do the whiney singing we have all grown to recognize. These guys have a sound that is going to grow with them. For now it’s lots of fun and sure a little cheesy at times. They have started as a great opening band, ready to bloom into something that we will all enjoy. Their fans will grow with their sound and for now can sing along at the top of their lungs.
- Stephanie Joudrey
 Funeral For A Friend
Tales Don't Tell Themselves
3.8/5
Who It’s For: Fans of harder emo music
Sounds Like: Hours, with some tweaks
Having a biased opinion coming into Tales Don’t Tell Themselves, it would have been hard for Funeral For A Friend to score big with this reviewer without matching the excellence of their previous work. With this latest effort, they were in the same ballpark as Casually Dressed & In Deep Conversation and Hours, but not close enough.
The boys incorporate some good accompanying elements into the album that take it in a bit of a different direction than their past work including some female vocals, synthesizer tones and some orchestral backing. In fact, the album’s first track, “Into Oblivion” starts off with some a synth-beat that had me wondering if I was sent the right album to review.
Singer Matthew Davies-Kreye still uses his strong voice to convey the lyrics over the pounding guitars and sounds as if he’s been working on improving it as well.
The worst part about hearing a regression in their music is knowing that this will put Funeral For A Friend another step back from mainstream success. As if it wasn’t hard enough being a Welsh band trying to make it.
- Dan Bilicki
 Job For A Cowboy
Genesis
3.5/5
Who It’s For: Tech-heads who need it fast and right now
Sounds Like: Cattle Decapitation, Cannibal Corpse, & Devildriver
For a debut album, this band has an unbelievable amount of hype surrounding them. With incessant touring helping them to build a rabid legion of fans (resulting in an impressive chart impact) Job For A Cowboy seem to be the band that will drag death metal kicking and screaming into the limelight. Better than average vocals coupled with the buzzsaw guitars and hammering drums scream by at hyper-speed, barely giving you a chance to breathe.
The problem being that once the album blurs past you, there isn’t much left to remember it by. Despite an obvious technical aptitude and a good sense of dynamics, the songs them selves tend to get somewhat monotonous and this is truly where the disc ends up falling short. So while it definitely brings to the surface the still burgeoning deathcore movement, JFAC still lack that spark of originality they need to stand out from the rest of the pack.
- Spencer Lavigne
 Tiger Army
Music From Regions Beyond
4/5
Who It’s For: People who want to move!
Sounds Like: Psychobilly/punk/rockabilly
Tiger Army has captured the hearts of psychobilly kids everywhere and since their last release they have certainly been busy. With their newest record, Music From Regions Beyond, fans will not be disappointed.
This dark record, featuring elements of punk and rockabilly, kicks off with a prelude instrumental track that quickly picks up the pace and launches into the second track where we are greeted with those great Davey Havok-like vocals (Havok makes an appearance on “Afterworld”). The songs on the album flow nicely and are fairly diverse in sound ranging from more melodic songs to more fast paced tracks that are sure to get your blood pumping, and "As The Cold Rain Falls" is even a synthy pop song which diverts from the rest of the record. The last track, "Where The Moss Slowly Grows" starts solemnly with just Nick 13 and a guitar, fittingly singing about pain and endings. It doesn't pick up to much but it is definitely a great way to end this record.
- Lauren Garbutt
 Year Of The Monkey
68
4.5/5
Who It’s For: Fans of Canadian music
Sounds Like: A various artist album
When two of Canada’s top producers, Jon “JK” Kanakis and Ron Lopata – who have worked with names such as Nelly Furtado, Jacksoul and Chantal Kreviazuk – decide to come together and write and produce their very own album, it could only end one way: success.
With a pop feel and a slew of talented Canadian singers like: Tomi Swick, Haydain Neale, Jully Black and Joel Parisien lending their voices, 68 is an album that melds rock, R&B and pop into a cohesive disc that pleases on the first listen.
Melding together the best of Canadian music and musicians in the business now, Year of the Monkey have started a project that brings to light the talent and fun of the Canadian music scene and have created their very own piece of Canadiana.
- Julie Hunter
Archived Reviews:
May 15, 2007: Bjork, Dimmu Borgir, The Exies, Linkin Park, See You Next Tuesday and more...
April 15, 2007: The Academy Is..., City And Colour, El-P, Evidence, Good Charlotte, Machine Head and more...
April 1, 2007: Clutch, Kieran Hebden And Steve Reid, Notorious B.I.G., The Ponys, Type O Negative and more...
March 1, 2007: The Ataris, Classic Case, The Fratellis, Nine Inch Nails, The Used and more...
February 15, 2007: Bloc Party, Crush Luther, The End, Fall Out Boy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and more...
February 1, 2007: Daughtry, Dustin Kensrue, The Good The Bad And The Queen, The Shins and more...
January 15, 2007: Brian McKnight, Tom Waits, Youth Group and more...
December 20, 2006: Isis, Justin Nozuka and The Holiday Review Section
December 1, 2006: Brand New, Incubus, The Pixies and more...
November 15, 2006: Deftones, Lady Sovereign, Matt Mays, The Prize Fighter Inferno, Robbie Williams and more...
November 1, 2006: My Chemical Romance, The Rasmus, Sparta, The Tragically Hip and more...
October 15, 2006: Evanescence, The Killers, K-Os, Seemless and more.....
October 1, 2006: John Mayer, Helmet, Method Man, Ryan Star and more....
February 2006 - September 2006:
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