Cobra Starship
While The City Sleeps, We Rule The Streets
4.1/5

For anyone out there that thinks Cobra Starship sucks because of their first single, Snakes on a Plane, obviously need to be let in on the joke. Cobra Starship isn’t trying to be the next big band with serious lyrics or that are trying to send a message to all of their listeners; there’s no statement trying to be made with While The City Sleeps, We Rule The Streets. What they did was put together an album that’s fun to listen to. And they did it well.
Gabe Saporta has done a great job with this side project and proves he has a great sense of humour. Front to back, the album is solid and overall, is a good listen.
- Dan Bilicki

Glenn Danzig
Black Aria II
4/5

Unless you only know of Danzig because of the first Black Aria (and if that’s the case, you need to do some research because you have gaping holes in your musical knowledge), Black Aria II may come as a surprise. The almost entirely instrumental album, based on the story of Lilith, is solid proof that a musician from any genre is absolutely capable of being successful in multiple genres, regardless of how far apart they are. It also shows that they can appeal to different audiences and that the listeners themselves may have a larger genre interest than they originally thought. The hauntingly beautiful instrumental tracks, along with Tania Themmen’s soaring vocals will capture your attention, as will the unique “Unclean Sephira” which uses vocals as actual instruments. Not bad for someone who’s known for punk.
- Alyssa Caplin

The Esoteric
Subverter
4/5

Subverter greets you with a strong opener, and an even stronger closing track. A pleasure to be able to review!
Songs like “Science Is Sexy” and “Clone Culture And The Cut-Up Method” express forceful beliefs about religion and today’s ‘scenes’ in a well-written, intelligent manner without appearing to be trying too hard – A skill that some bands truly lack.
While some hardcore rock bands tend to sound misplaced, with beat and voice just thrown together, The Esoteric’s performance on this album shows a group of talented musicians who have clearly thought out the writing process and ended up with a solid finishing product.
- Amanda Pereira

House of Fools
S/T EP
3.2/5

House of Fools’ debut EP is five good songs of easy listening, indie-pop music that show that they do have some talent to play. The problem with the EP is that if they had taken some more time and released a full length album, I have they feeling that more than likely, the added tracks wouldn’t have brought much more to the table. Even on an EP, House of Fools found a way to seem somewhat repetitive.
If they can find a way to expand their music with the talent that they have, they can be something special.
- Dan Bilicki

Ill Scarlett
EPdemic
4.1/5

The whole ska/punk/reggae/hip hop/rap (and whatever else you feel) fusion scene is lorded over by the ghost of Sublime, a colossal pain in the arse for any band staking a claim there, because (a) Sublime were awesome, and (b) everyone on the entire planet knows who they are. When that’s most people’s point of comparison for your music, it’s a royal pain in the arse.
Hopefully the delightful Ill Scarlett will manage to sidestep the boring comparisons, because they’re brilliant. EPdemic is full of tasty little songs, including deserves-to-be-a-massive-single “NTF” and hits all the right buttons “First Shot.” EPdemic nails the Ill Scarlett sound perfectly, sitting nicely beside their mental live shows. And it makes a hell of a nice change from all that emo that’s all over the place right now.
- Kid Lupin

Ken Mode
Reprisal
3.75/5

It’s a real bummer that no one from Halifax to Toronto cares about what happens from Sault Ste. Marie to Calgary. (Vancouver and Victoria don’t care about anyone but themselves for the record) because Ken Mode who are from Winnipeg, kind of rule. In a wall of sound sort of way. Like when your boy brings his new girlfriend over and she walks into the room while this album is playing, she scrunches up her nose and says: “WHAT are you listening to?” Then you and your friends laugh and say: “It’s the new Good Charlotte” and go back to drinking. Oh yeah and if you are an old hardcore nerd like me, you’ll appreciate the Kittens cover on this record.
- jfl

MxPx
Let’s Rock
2.5/5

MxPx has been plagued for their whole career it seems with not being as good or popular or interesting as the next act that sounds like them. With Let’s Rock they have released rarities, b-sides, acoustic versions and so on from their career and it’s still just not as great as some other things that are being offered up. There is a soft spot in me for the band that plays pretty good rockin’ punk music and who after 11 albums (this is their 12th) still can’t get the attention of a full concert hall in Toronto. If you’ve ever heard MxPx then this disc is nothing different. Catchy poppy punk songs with some acoustic versions thrown in, that’s it. After this many years they aren’t going to change now.
- Stephanie Joudrey

NoMeansNo
All Roads Lead to Ausfahrt
4/5

NoMeansNo are old. Like really old. Like, older than your parents older siblings. And you know what, they kick fucking ass. If you’ve never heard them, imagine Death From Above 1979 without the dancing. Replace that dancing with fist pumping at obscure time signatures and bass lines that would leave Primus fans feeling cheated. All Roads Lead To Ausfahrt is their most rockin’ record since 0 + 2 = 1 and is a big change of gears from One but the change is more than welcome. With this band you either get it or you don’t, and this is as good a place to start as any.
- jfl

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars
Living Like A Refugee
4/5

How many bands do you know that can actually claim they’re not in it for the money and really mean it? Take a minute, think about it. Can’t think of any? Refugee All Stars are pretty much the only ones that mean it. The fact that they do it for the love of the music is evident on their album Living Like A Refugee. Not long after the documentary named after the band, which included recording sessions, was screened, this album came out and unlike most bands who have all the expensive equipment and fancy producers, Living Like A Refugee is stripped down and laid back and all about the honesty. With a belief that music can bring people together, make them happy and inspire beliefs, Refugee All Stars have found a way to bring their sound across continents. If it doesn’t make you believe or bring a smile to your face then you’re pretty much a lost cause.
- Alyssa Caplin

Cradle Of Filth
Thornography
4/5

Cradle Of Filth are a band you either absolutely love or absolutely hate, there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground and for those who love them, Thornography has all the elements that make you listen over and over. From Dani Filth’s creepily weird growls and shrieks to the speedy guitars, along with the haunting metal sounds, this disc is yet another perfect album from the band to throw on during a Halloween party. In keeping with the Gothy theme, HIM frontman Ville Valo makes an appearance on “The Byronic Man.” If this is your first time listening to Cradle Of Filth, keep in mind that you should only take them seriously at your own risk. If you take it for what it is, you’ll have as good a time with it as the bands hardcore fans.
-Alyssa Caplin

D.O.A.
Bloodied But Un Bowed
4/5

D.O.A. are a classic punk rock band. You’ve probably heard that before, but then you went on limewire and downloaded some garbage they recorded in like 1993 and couldn’t see what the big deal was. Bloodied But Unbowed is the cream of the crop for D.O.A. A compilation of their first four 7”s and two LPs, this is what made them the name that they are. If you like punk rock of any genre this is a pretty important document to own. If you are a fan of well played technically proficient rock music, you should probably stick with Tool.
- jfl

Faulter
Darling Buds of May
3/5

Josh Freese is just full of surprises. The man is a machine! Most widely known as the drummer for The Vandals, Guns and Roses, or A Perfect Circle, it shouldn’t surprise you to know the Californian drumming prodigy has collaborated on more than fifty projects including studio drums for both of Kelly Clarkson’s albums. Faulter, a simplistically invigorating emo rock band, is his latest contribution to his growing mosaic, and like most albums he appears on he absolutely slays the drum work. In this case, his drum work is the focus point for most of the album. While the strong and sturdy rocking ballads are quite intriguing with gripping guitar and bass work and clean vocals spiralling, this band would have nothing to make them stick out among their contemporizes had it not been for the man behind the kit. Mastering tricks Saves the Day and Story of the Year owned in the early 2000s, Faulter are lush with talent, but lacking creativity.
– Sari Delmar

I Am Ghost
Lover’s Requiem
4/5

This is only I Am Ghost’s second album, therefore they are probably still gaining fans, myself included. It’s amazing to turn on an album to hear the catchy punk hooks of My Chemical Romance, combined with the surreal gothism of Evanescence and the scream and solos and pounding drums of Protest The Hero. I Am Ghost sounds like none of these bands alone, but it’s nearly impossible to compare them without naming a list. With two vocalists, male and female, they have brought beauty to goth punk, or perhaps they brought goth punk to classical music. Regardless, Lover’s Requiem is a disc that clearly takes you on a ride from the operatic intro to the operatic outro and all of the soaring vocals and orchestra bit mixed in between. It creates something that might force kids these days to expand their musical loves beyond Warped Tour.
- Stephanie Joudrey

It Dies Today
Sirens
3/5

This is It Dies Today’s newest record since 2004’s The Caitiff Choir. The one song that stands out the most amongst the rest has got to be “Sacred Heart (Sacre Coeur).” With the raw emotion of the lyrics being sung, intertwined with the powerful combination of instruments, this tune will have you craving a second listen.
The negative aspect of this album is the fact that the vocals tend to sound a little bit too similar in each track – however, the songs themselves are good enough to keep the attention of the listener through-out.
Although Sirens is not the most brilliant album I’ve ever heard, it is by no means the worst!
- Amanda Pereira

Mastodon
Blood Mountain
3.5/5

The guitar work on this album is enough to give you the spins. The drums are so on point you basically need a calculator to fully understand what’s going on. That said, for a band named Mastodon, the production is kind of lacking. One would hope that with a name like that, this album would crush you, or thunder through your woofers. Maybe even gore you with giant tusks. If that’s what you’re looking for, go back to their previous albums, specifically Leviathan.
- jfl

No Luck Club
Prosperity
3.6/5

You might be listening to Prosperity, its eerie samples and crashing beats that sound like an intergalactic war, but you will (trust me) be thinking of Endtroducing... Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but you shouldn’t be thinking you’d rather be listening to Endtroducing...
To be fair, in the alternative reality where DJ Shadow never knocked out his stellar album, Prosperity is at the head of the game. “Better Times Will Come” is blissful alt.dance music; “Our Story” is the infamous tale of anti-Chinese racism in Canada at the turn of the century. But when NLC step back from the sonic plagiarism, you have the fun of “Turntables On The Bayou” and “Mais Ritmo No Carnaval.” Prosperity is a good mix of ideas and styles brought together under one roof, it just sounds a little too familiar to be entirely comfortable.
- Kid Lupin

planesmistakenforstars
Mercy
4.5/5

A lot of bands rely on the “names” that they work with to promote themselves. “Album produced by:” and “Guest appearance by:” And it seems to work for some bands. PMFS don’t play that. Even though the kid who does Darkest Hour’s artwork did the cover for “Mercy” and the guy who worked on the Minus The Bear album produced it, PMFS don’t need that. If anything it’ll raise the awareness of those dudes. Mercy is a dark and brooding album made up of peaks and valleys that draw you in and won’t let go until the ride’s over. Then you just want to get in line and ride again. Crushing at times, this is what I’ll have on my headphones when I go on my killing spree. I’ll throw a Molotov at all the heaviest parts.
- jfl

The Tender Box
The Score
4.5/5

Some people say that music before the present day was better and that everything this new-age presents is crap. A few of these naysayers decided to start a synth pop indie rock band called The Tender Box, which pulls obvious influence from 80’s British indie rock icons, The Smiths. Now East L.A.’s The Tender Box find themselves touring the world with bands like The Goo Goo Dolls. So maybe they were right, music these days just isn’t as deep and organic, but with their stripped down approach at catchy experimental rock gaining media attention, things are about to change. The dance-y melody bouncer “Commuter” would do well in a radio commercial and their accessible, yet unique, single “Mister Sister,” really leaves no room for questioning… their revolution has already begun.
– Sari Delmar