album reviews
Reviews of albums old and new from iconic artists and up and coming musicians alike.
Benthik Zone—'Via Cosmicam ad Europam ab Gelid Inferis' Album Review
Benthik Zone—Via Cosmicam ad Europam ab Gelid Inferis: Benthik Zone is a darkwave influenced three piece atmospheric black metal band from Porto, Portugal on their full-length debut with Via Cosmicam ad Europam ab Inferis Gelid. This band was founded in 2016 and last year dropped two EPs predating this LP in Cyclum Vitam D'Aqua Pollutio and Alienum a Daemonum Inferni Squali. They are currently unsigned, active, and I will link at the end of the article where you can find these crazy dudes playing, hopefully, somewhere in your part of the world.
By Rip Mitchell8 years ago in Beat
Dave East — 'P2' Review
“Is dying worth everything you done lived for?” These words sound like proverbial street wisdom on “Prosper,” the second track on P2. They’re easily some of the most profound bars on here. Just like the first "Paranoia," fear and uncertainty are at the core of this mixtape.
By Rap Disciple8 years ago in Beat
A Look at Corrosion of Conformity's 'Wiseblood'
I'm only 36-years-old (as of this writing), but seeing how old some albums are puts that number in perspective. Corrosion of Conformity's Wiseblood is just such an album. It came out in 1996, when I was about 14-years-old. It's hard to believe it, but that makes this album itself 21-years-old! In any case, this album holds up extremely well for me. I don't think there's a single stinker track on it.
By Wade Wainio8 years ago in Beat
Maxo Kream - 'Punken' Review
Maxo Kream is a Houston rapper with over a million monthly listeners on Spotify. Punken is his debut studio album and was released on Jan. 12, 2018. Don’t press the snooze button on this rapper; Punken deserves a listen from hip-hop aficionados.
By Rap Disciple8 years ago in Beat
Why 'Last Young Renegade' Is the Best All Time Low Album to Date
While fans of All Time Low will likely remember them best for songs like "Dear Maria: Count Me In," "I Feel Like Dancin'," and "A Love Like War," their newest album showcases the dedication and talent that they have to their craft.
By Jessica Riffle8 years ago in Beat
5 Notable Album Releases for 1/10/2018
It's the beginning of the year and we're past that phase where artists are afraid to release albums because they'll be in that bitter spot where they miss a lot of the top ten lists and then not be eligible for the top album lists at the end of next year. Run the Jewels in hip-hop and Zao in the metal category are examples of December releases that would have made a few more lists if they weren't released mid to late December 2016.
By Christopher Sarda8 years ago in Beat
Insane Art—'Human Nature Bright Side/Dark Side' review
Insane Art is an interesting four-piece Siberian Groove Metal band from Novosibirsk, Russia, with a monster of a two-part album for their first ever releases. Though they were released almost a year apart, they flow together so well that I wanted to review them as one body of work. Even just by title, these two seem to follow a concept of a lighter/dark-type double album, which, in concept, I, as a listener, really enjoy! Their overall sound is a good blend of traditional groove metal (ie: Lamb of God and Pantera) mixed very well with early 2000s era metalcore like Chimaira or Unearthed, which comes off as chaotic in the best way! As a vocalist and lyricist, I would usually talk about lyrics and the like, but for these dudes I'm going to give that a pass, as there is a bit of a language barrier. I can say, vocally, the lead singer has great chops on screaming as well as his cleans (don’t worry, my metalhead friends, when I say "cleans," it is closer to a thrash metal yell for the most part, nothing whine-y or autotuned will be found on theses disks). But enough about the dudes, let's get into what they have created!
By Rip Mitchell8 years ago in Beat
The 10 R&B Albums of 2017 You Must Have in Your Library
In a year where “Bodak Yellow” and “Despacito” battled at the top of the charts, EDM’s rise in popularity is at fever pitch, and “pop” is now defined by angsty hip-hop artists such as Lil Uzi Vert. It’s easy to have missed some amazing R&B albums the past year. Some say the genre died years ago with singers going to more “popular” sounds and even rapping.
By Chauncey Balsom8 years ago in Beat
Botanist—'Collective: The Shape of He to Come' Album Review
Botanist is a five piece post-black metal band from San Francisco, California. They have been a band since 2009 and have released five albums and three EP’s before this album was crafted. One of the things that makes this band stand out from the rest is the fact they do not use guitars as the lead instrument. Instead, they use a hammered dulcimer which gives it a very melodic, if not slightly hypnotic, approach to this interesting take on metal. A word to the reader, I must say that there are a few tracks that I would not say transcends metal, but you could not even call metal. Now onward to the oddly unique album!
By Rip Mitchell8 years ago in Beat
