always listening
There’s something to be said for sticking with a good gimmick. Ultra Raptor leans hard into being Quebec City’s premiere dinosaur-themed speed metal band. Fossilized picks up where 2021’s Tyrants left off with a relentless turbo-charged attack and a distinctRead more…
Expansion Pak is the fast drivin’, hard charging debut from London/Kitchener punk trio Sega Saturn The Console. It’s an aggressive mix of SoCal hardcore and surf-punk that stews in its own darkness. “Recipe For Extinction” is all about fatalism, “WasteRead more…
Toronto two-piece Uugghh dropped their debut Freakosystem this past December and it’s a little bit of everything. The eight gooey tracks bounce fiendishly between noise-punk, grindcore and avant-garde black metal. As a collaboration between Katelyn Molgard (Bad Waitress) and MollyRead more…
Irrational Anthems has been one of the most anticipated releases of the year for me. I had the opportunity to catch Dave New World in January and was floored by the sheer melodic power of first single “No Friends”. It’sRead more…
Die Hydrated is the long-awaited debut LP from North Bay power trio Peach Pact, dropping a mere seven years after their inception in 2018. It’s an interesting brew of sonic influences, pulling together riot grrl messaging, punk rock energy andRead more…
KIN is the fourth full-length from Montreal prog/rock/psych/metal trio MOOCH. The solar eclipse on the cover art portends a dark celestial journey. But KIN eschews the grimness I’ve come to expect with Black Throne releases. KIN opens with not one,Read more…
There’s something inherently charming about Don’t Tell Sarah’s debut full-length: the cheekily titled Garagemahal. The four-piece, based out of Cornwall, have managed to cram every single heavy metal trope into one record. And this isn’t me ripping on them. OnRead more…
I always feel a bit lazy when starting a review by comparing a record to older stuff. But if I say “Daydream Nation” and “Spiderland” you can get an immediate idea of what Quotas’ debut EP is all about. OrRead more…
Barrie four-piece AAWKS dropped their second full-length On Through The Sky Maze after three years of popping up on seemingly every stoner metal bill under the sun (and moon). Getting to share a stage with a who’s who of theRead more…
Bilious came out swinging this past January with Thems The Breaks, the follow up to their 2023 debut EP Life is Greasy. It’s a five-song jaunt that lands somewhere between hillbilly punk and 80’s alt-metal. Opening track “The Internet” kicksRead more…