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Record Reviews1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 | 0-9| A| B| C| D| E| F| G| H| I| J| K| L| M | | N| O| P| Q| R| S| T| U| V| W| X| Y| Z| < Prev Section | Next Section >  RSS Feed
DERRINGER:
A Rock and Roll Tragedy: CD
Well, this ain’t the latest disc by Rick Derringer’s new band, that’s for sure.
–Jimmy Alvarado (www.zerovelocityrecords.com)
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DERROTA:
Asko Inifinito: LP
Blazing hardcore punk from Spain. Derrota sounds like E-150 crossed with Drive Like Jehu. A weird combination that works well from these guys. You get the thrashy speed and recklessness of the aforementioned E-150, then you also get the jangly and disjointed guitar sound, the driving tempos and rhythms of a band like Drive Like Jehu thrown in with a huge amount of tension to keep you listening. The pacing for this album is pretty good. They switch up tempos from speedy to mid tempo, with some thrashy and bouncy songs mixed in to break up the onslaught. Some songs come on in a thrashing rage and end on a slower, spaced-out note, like “Critter.” The final track, “Abismo Interior,” has a bit of a stoner rock outro, with the lumbering pace and repeated riff over a din of noise and crashing cymbals. The guitar sound of this band is awesome: classic punk distortion, and when called for, clean and precise to lift the song above the fray. A great example of these contrasting styles can be heard in the song, “Asfalto Muerto.” Comes packaged with a large format lyric booklet that has translations in German, French, and English. Great record all the way through.
–Matt Average (Trabuc)
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DES ARK:
Don’t Rock the Boat, Sink the Fucker: CD
Oh wow, this lady has such a beautiful voice. The cymbals crashing like waves throughout the album make the tone really peaceful. The title of this CD is misleading though, because it is really just perfect music for chill time and daydreaming.
–Lauren Trout (Lovitt)
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DESA:
Demonstrates Birth: CD-EP
Average pop punk band with
emo overtones. I was more excited wiping my cat’s ass after a stinky shit in
the litter box.
–Donofthedead (Substandard)
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DESAPARECIDOS:
Read Music Speak Spanish: CD
Started off as emo-tinged college pop and got progressively more emo-tinged and progressively worse. You’d also figure that with a title like that, they’d at least do so, but no.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Saddle Creek)
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DESARME:
Es Tu Error: CD
The metal gets a little thick sometimes on this, especially on the quasi-acoustic intros that pop up here and there, but these guys are essentially dealing out some decent thrash with some occasional straightforward punk nods. They also keep things diverse, which is always a good thing.
–Jimmy Alvarado (solidaridad_distro@hotmail.com)
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DESCENDENTS:
Cool to Be You: CD
Jeez, where does one begin when speaking of the Descendents? These guys have been a personal favorite of mine since White Morgan lent me the Fat EP back in junior high school, and while they may not have always managed to consistently deliver the goods over the years (the ALL album, which admittedly has some of their best work, is uneven at best), their “comeback” record, Everything Sucks, was a nice return to form, and this, their latest, is a fine extension on that album. There may be a dearth of obligatory thrashers here, but it is nonetheless chock full of some of the finest pop a punk band ever mustered – taut, tight as hell, melancholy and tough as nails all at once. More amazingly, with the explosion of tenth-rate pop-punk bands inundating the airwaves, these boys still manage to somehow set themselves apart from the pack simply by playing with a level of honesty most of the new jack bands lack. When Milo sings an anthem to being a glasses-wearing nerd, he ain’t just whistling Dixie, kid. My only gripe is that seven years is TOO FUCKING LONG to make us wait between albums. There’s got to be torture laws they’re violatin’ by having us sit and wait year after year after year for the next fix. The copy of this I happen to be reviewing is destined to be played until it disintegrates, and then replaced numerous times over the course of my lifetime.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Fat)
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DESCENDENTS:
`Merican: CD-EP
I am not worthy! Here is a
release that is as comforting as a familiar blanket, your favorite beer, or
masturbating. It’s a four song EP that include two songs from the upcoming (or
by the time you read this, the new) full length, Cool to Be You. These four songs are just not enough! I want
more! Gimme, gimme, gimme! It’s good to see the band was able to pull Milo out
of the lab where he was doing experiments on vegetables to grace us again with
some fine tuneage. If you were to ask me about favorite bands, the Descendents
are one of them. I’m pretty sure Milo Goes to College is one of the first ten punk records I ever bought
when I was in junior high and that was a long time ago. They are also one of
the few bands that I try to have a complete collection. There are only a few
things missing that I am not willing to spend big bucks on. But I know I have
every single full length. Now back to this here release. For a quick
description of this EP, I would say that it is a combination of Enjoy! and the All LP. Also, I truly believe from this teaser that the songs are going to
be even better than the songs from Everything Sucks. That’s saying a lot because I believe they
haven’t put out a bad release to date. To show how much I like this and how
much of a music junkie I am, I’m going out next week and shell out some bucks
so I can get the vinyl copy. I’m such a geek!
–Donofthedead (Fat)
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DESCENDENTS:
‘Merican: CD-EP
Long has my love affair
been with the rock that the Descendents bring, roughly since 1982 or so, when
they were one of the staple bands on Rodney B’s radio show. I have personally
turned hundreds of people, including my wife, onto their perfect blend of tough
as nails hardcore and sappy, lovey dovey pop, a sound that has since been
co-opted, corrupted and perverted by the corporate music conglomerates and can
currently be heard being profaned by Blink 182, Bowling for Soup and hordes of
other lesser bands. The efforts of these lesser bands have thoroughly soured me
on a punk sub-niche I once held sacred, yet a new Descendents disc can still
make me wanna bounce off the walls while singing mushy love shit at the top of
my lungs. Hypocrisy, you say? P’shaw, says I. Aside from the fact that the
Descendents virtually invented the pop-punk style currently polluting the
airwaves (taking no so subtle cues from predecessors like the Buzzcocks and the
Last), they have managed over the years to retain the one thing those that have
followed lack: a feeling of honest sincerity. From the first note, you know
they ain’t following some formula while trying to chase the fame train; this is
the REAL THING. A lot of effort and work is put into what they do and it shows.
Even through their weakest efforts (the All album they did right before Milo went back to
college, for example, was spotty at best), one can sense the level of
commitment they have to the music they play. The four listed tunes (and bonus
tune tacked onto the last track) on ‘Merican bookend nicely with the tuneage found on the
band’s previous effort, 1996’s Everything Sucks. The years of playing incessantly as All (sans
Milo) has honed them into one mean machine, able to break your heart with the
vocals, slice up the remains with the buzzsaw guitars, and pound whatever’s
left into oblivion with a rock-solid backbeat. Best thing of all is that this
is just a tease to get the kids lathered up in impatient anticipation for the
upcoming full-length due out in a month or so. Although seven years is quite a
long time for any junkie to get his fix (and please, guys, take pity on us poor
saps and drop these bombs with a little more frequency), the wait was well
worth it. Neither recommended nor considered mandatory listening, this is
essential in ways only previously reserved for things like air and water.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Fat)
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DESCENDENTS, THE:
Cool to Be You: CD
The differences between The Descendents and ninety-five percent of pop punk? I sat and listened and listened and listened to this CD and it kept on getting better instead of stale. Little things hit me. As I’m wont to do with a CD that I really like, I talk to people about it. Here’s what’s come up in discussion. 1.) When they sing about love, it’s not boyfriend/ girlfriend. It’s wife, ex-wife. The stakes are higher and more grave, the emotions less polar. 2.) The guitar, as with Jughead of Screeching Weasel, up in the front, it sounds like frosting, fuzzy bunnies, and sunshine but underneath, it’s all sharpened blades sticking in deep, churning nuts and bolts. 3.) The Descendents are still consummate musical outsiders. Through the relative isolation of living in Colorado while Milo went off and got his Ph.D., they weren’t concerned with keeping up with all of the little punk rock ghettos that have formed. They lived life and were human beings with punk rock rooted inside. Then they decided to make an album. They don’t need the money. They needed the fuel that only creation can bring. I admire that. 4.) True pioneers don’t just have one trick up their sleeves. The best of the breed are the ultimate survivors. They overcame one of the largest obstacles: remaining relevant past their mid-to-late thirties in a genre of music that treats bands like Logan’s Run. 5.) Any band that lyrically includes Otis Redding, the Haymarket Riot, and the line “I’m gonna kick their asses in class/ Gonna get good grades!” will usually make it to my A list, anyhow. It’ll be impossible for this album to be kicked off my top ten for 2004.
–Todd Taylor (Fat)
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DESCENDENTS, THE:
Cool to Be You: CD
I was one of those awkward kids in school. Punk rock gave me an identity that I have carried for over twenty years. When I first bought the Milo Goes to College LP, I felt instant validation. It connected to me then as it still does now. The line-ups have mutated, but the formula remains the same. A teaser EP, ‘Merican, came out first this year and blew me away. They’re one of the few bands from the early ‘80s that can still kick out jams. Anticipation was high after hearing that. Retodd reported to me that the full length is “fuckin’ good!” I was so excited. When I left Razorcake HQ to pick up review material, I popped the sucker in the CD changer in my car. I rarely ever do that. I started the car and turned my stereo up. I’m no typical punk rocker. I have to have a 200-watt stereo system with some booming subwoofers that cost me a pretty penny in my truck to play my punk rock. Ooh, ha! I’m in familiar territory here. That oh-so-familiar bass playing of Karl shakes out of the speakers. Milo’s voice provides me the comfort that things are going to be all right. Bill’s intricate lead drumming bang away in a positive heartbeat. Stephen continues on with a great guitar sound that is so sweet up front but will bite you in the ass if you aren’t paying attention. My highlight track has to be “Mass Nerder.” Changing the Germs’ lyrics of “We Must Bleed” to “We Must Read” is fucking classic! I hate to say it, but this is better than the last three albums combined. That is no small chump change. Those albums are great, but this one is so much better. Jimmy Alvarado and I are kinda the old goats of this cooperative. If he hates this, he needs a colonic.
–Donofthedead (Fat)
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DESERT VEST, THE:
You Can’t Push a Ghost: CD-R
Nearly every song starts off with great ideas and mounds of dissonant creativity in evidence. Then the singer inevitably kicks in and it ends up sounding like bad alt-rock.
–Jimmy Alvarado (myspace.com/thedesertvest)
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DESERT VEST, THE:
Hey What: CD
If this album had been released the year following Nirvana’s monumental Nevermind, one of two things would have happened: this band would have been snatched up, signed, and molded into a hit maker or they would have been lambasted mercilessly for trying to emulate a band that (and let’s face it) was destined to become the Highlander of grunge: the one and only. That’s not to say that this is a song-for-song carbon copy. These guys clearly do have some ideas of their own and I initially thought that the Nirvana aping was just my imagination running wild. That is until I listened to their song “Floody,” which couldn’t sound more like “Polly” if the song was actually named “Polly.” After listening to this for the second time, I’m left wondering if this is hero homage or some elaborate inside joke. I’m sorry to say that whatever the case is, it’s just not very good at all.
–Juan Espinosa (Self-released, no address)
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DESGUACE:
Yo Me Se Cuidar: LP
You know what’s great about punk? Well, there’s a lot, but one thing is the fact that there really are a ton of awesome records out there by bands you’ve never heard of. Take Desguace, for example. You’ve never heard of them, right? I hadn’t before I got this record. I never would have known they existed. Still, this record is some killer shit. Its awesomeness is not subject to debate. This is vicious and fast. All of the lyrics are in Spanish, but that doesn’t matter. It’s the definition of punk. You could buy it and share it with your friends—none of whom have heard of this band either—and they’d all agree that this is the real deal. Or you could buy it and it could be your little secret. Your call.
–MP Johnson (Trabuc)
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DESOLATE VOID:
Self-Medicated Psychotherapy: CD
Essentially stoner metal with growly vocals. This is pretty good for what it is, but that’s about as far as I’m willing to commit.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Crimes Against Humanity)
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DESOLATE VOID:
No Sign of Better Times: CD
Metal stuff with the requisite crunchy, growly vocals. They don’t much thrash it up, but instead go with odd rhythm patterns and lyrics that don’t seem overly obsessed with Satan and/or Odin. This stuff ain’t always my cup o’ tea, but there’s enough punk influence in there to keep things from getting silly.
–Jimmy Alvarado (http://www.cahrecords.com/)
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DESOLATE VOID:
Northern Aggression: 7”
Andy Howard, Desolate Void’s singer, was the first guy I ever saw wearing an Eyehategod shirt. I swear he came out of the womb with that sucker on. I couldn’t even get away with wearing White Zombie and Tool shirts to school without teachers freaking out on me. I doubt they ever said shit to Andy about his Eyehategod shirt. Maybe they were scared of him. If they heard this record, they would be. This is the sound of people who have had metal in their veins since birth, who have let it fester and rot inside until it pours out of their mouths and instruments like black bile, melting everything in its path. You are in its path.
–MP Johnson (Crimes Against Humanity, cahrecords.com)
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DESOLATEVOID / THE LAST VAN ZANT / THE PARISH:
Split: CD
Desolatevoid are a mix of crust and hard rock. A weird combo, but they pull it off. The vocals are throaty as hell and the music is heavy. It’s not bad, but the dual vocals and the grindcore style shrieking starts to grate after a while. The Last Van Zant, sounding nothing like Skynyrd, are more on the speedier side of the spectrum. The Parish slow things down with some riffage akin to Sleep and the Sword. I find I listen to their section of this three way the most. The only thing that mars their material is the Cookie Monster vocal style.
–Matt Average (C.A.H., cahrecords.com)
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DESOLATION:
Self-titled: CD
A one-shot sonic onslaught brought forth by dudes from other bands you’ve heard of, such as Strung Up and Born/Dead. Dark and brooding stuff with elements of Finnish/Scandi hardcore mayhem, Japanese metal, and straight-up thrash all wrestling for dominance. You’ve already got an idea of what you’re getting yourself into before you listen to it: it’s on Prank, there’s appropriately apocalyptic artwork from Pushead, Sugi, and Jeremy Clark and it features the first foil-stamped cover I’ve ever seen on anything besides comic books. From what I’ve gathered they’ve already called it quits. It’s not something I’ll find myself listening to very often, but I know plenty of kids who drool over this stuff—it’s dark, atmospheric, played extremely well, and there’s no doubt at all that they knew exactly what they were doing when they recorded this album.
–Keith Rosson (Prank)
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DESOLATION:
Rest in Panic: EP
I have found Desolation records to be generally a lukewarm listening experience. Not bad, but could be better. They sounded a bit flat. However, they are starting (are they a functioning band again?) to be a bit more interesting. The influence of Tragedy hangs heavy in the air for sure, but on the first couple songs here they have more speed, and, as a result, the sound is more abrasive and jagged. The vocals are barked over the top without character, which bogs things down a bit. The strength of their songs is found in the tempo changes and the percussion. Here they can demonstrate their sonic power and pull the listener in. Their best song is without a doubt found on the B side, “No Steps Forward.” While still retaining the heavy and dark qualities, they also manage to be tuneful and the result is aces. More songs like that and they could be so f’ing great!
–Matt Average (Prank, prankrecords.com)
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DESPERAT:
Demokrati Eller Diktatur?: 7”
I liken d-beat to the relationship with your favorite beer: it’s still fucking refreshing no matter how many times you’ve partaken. Desperat are all lifers when it comes to the genre (Mob 47 members!) and from the mayhem exhibited here, they show no signs of tiring, with a sound that so many punks hold dear. Typically, I’d be a little less than enthused with such high production values but I’d be a lying asshole if I said it doesn’t work perfectly here. The cymbal sound is like they’re playing right in front of you; and for that alone, they definitely got their money’s worth. Personal taste disclosure: nobody (besides the mighty Discharge, of course) does it better than the Swedes. So if you’re into Krigshot, Totalitär, and Kvoteringen, then you absolutely need this.
–Juan Espinosa (Beach Impediment, beachimpediment@hotmail.com, desperathc@hotmail.com)
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DESPERATE SPINSTERS:
Sexless Restless and Cruel: CD
Crunchy metal/punk stuff with obnoxious lyrics and song titles like “Shut the Fuck Up about Your Grandkids,” “Gang Raped by Boxcar Hobos” and “Everything We Do Revolves Around Alcohol” letting you know what you’re getting into right from the first
–Jimmy Alvarado (Desperate Spinsters)
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DESPISE:
Desolate: 7”
“Desolate” could be the best song about seasonal affective disorder ever written. Bleak and heart ripping, it speaks of the “Dreary shroud of winter” that everyone who lives in Minneapolis understands so well. It’s where Despise is from. It’s where I’m from. It’s where the cold gets into you through cracks in your knuckles and you find your hands bleeding and your face numb and it sometimes feels like it’s pulling you to an ending, and now there’s a soundtrack to go with that feeling.
–MP Johnson (Profane Existence)
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DESPISE YOU / AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED:
And On and On: Split: LP
The release of this record is as monumental to me as the first time I (or anyone) saw Despise You perform live at Murderfest ‘07. That might not sound like a big deal but in case you didn’t know, prior to that show, DY existed only on recordings between the years of ‘94 and ‘97. Fake band member names, interviews, and show fliers added to the confusion amongst many of their fans (myself included) and peers in the scene. Their records eventually became obscure collectors items and a partial discography, Westside Horizons, became a cult classic as the band’s fate appeared to have been sealed when a split with Man Is The Bastard never materialized. Sure, it’s a bummer to think of what might have been, but you’ll be glad to know that they picked up right where they left off—and with a suitable partner in Agoraphobic Nosebleed. If you loved DY’s classics, then you should have no problem enjoying these eighteen brand new tracks of the same brand of thrashy hardcore that they built a reputation on. Still fucking bleak, brutal, and fast. There’s also a cover of Fear’s “I Don’t Care About You” just to show you where they’re coming from. Agoraphobic Nosebleed have also created quite a name for themselves in the extreme music world, though it’s debatable whether it’s a name to be praised or shunned. Still no drummer in place of the drum machine, but the songwriting is still excellent as Scott Hull doesn’t seem to run of out of riffs to manipulate. ANB doesn’t seem to rely on speed (the musical kind, that is) as much as they did in their earlier days, but don’t kid yourself, shit’s still fierce. It’s fairly typical of Jay Randall to conjure up lyrical diarrhea, but this time around the lyrics are not as offensive. Still, that doesn’t mean that they haven’t or won’t be again. But, hey, Randall couldn’t have been more right on with these lines: “Get pissed—throw the disc in the trash? But the Despise You side is where it’s at.” Amen to that.
–Juan Espinosa (Relapse, relapse.com)
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DESPISED, THE:
Punk, It’s Not for Rich Kids Anymore: CD
Man, the old press sheet says Punk, It’s Not for Rich Kids Anymore is a concept album that the band has been working on for six years! That’s dedication, folks. And if that concept is sucking, they’ve hit the mark. It’s that oh-so-creative punk that’s played at a breakneck pace with never a breakdown in sight—unless it’s for one of those tuneless guitar solo wank-a-ramas—coupled with those awesome vocals that go “Blah blah blah, b b b-blah” in every single, god-forsaken track. I was hoping Killroy would eventually show his face and rub out all the Mr. Robotos, but, much to my dismay, I don’t see him or Dennis De Young. Domo arigato, Despised, for the suck opera. The only thing I can say is that the rich kids can keep this one.
–Dave Disorder (VIP Productions)
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