Album Reviews

A look back at our favorite albums of 2016 in rock, alternative and metal!

2016 marked another promising year for artists on the alternative spectrum. It seems that ever since my first top list the previous year, my hopes for a streak remain steady. This is saying a lot, given my past disenchantment with the modern rock underground over the years. One thing’s for …

West Coast trio Sloucher have bounced onto the indie rock circuit with their debut EP Certainty. Sloucher, consisting of Jay Clancy on guitar/vocals, Kyle Musselwhite on guitar, and Jack Hamrick on drums, appear to have created this project as a means of testing themselves and hopefully move forward as musicians. …

With their debut album Jousthouse, Minneapolis trio Late Night Fights are hoping to craft a name for themselves in the modern hard rock scene. For this project, the band have aimed to encapsulate the grittiness of grunge while also giving their music a more relevant approach in order to catch …

Finnish metal act Burning Point have returned with another full length record, The Blaze, to add to their growing collection of releases that date back to the early 2000’s. With heavy influences from the more classic metal eras like the 1970’s-80’s, Burning Point are known for their purist hard rock …

Multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Jim Gatti successfully melds a common link between alternative and progressive rock realms. Hailing from New Jersey, the Dumont native self-produces his material, and is an instructor of guitar, piano, and bass at his self-run JG Music School, located in Ridgewood. A simple surface listen to either his music …

Robert J. Hunter’s dingy, multi-spectrum blues sound has earned him a surge of credibility in the UK underground. Originally from the Channel Islands’ Bailiwick of Guernsey, the now London-based singer-songwriter’s track record is presently burgeoning. At just 24, Hunter rocked the city’s big-name venues, namely Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club and …

Balance is Cloak and Dagger’s latest offering. It’s the follow-up to their 2014 EP Divination, which caught the attention of major labels and metal fans alike. In short, there are some expectations Balance has to live up to. “Snowfall” is an unusual song to find on a metalcore EP, but …

When thinking of the best words to describe post-hardcore band The Funeral Portrait, the words “complex” and “dynamic” come to mind. Gearing up to release thirteen tracks of pure angst, A Moment of Silence drops on December 16th. The Atlanta-based five-piece is made up of Lee Jennings (vocalist), Juergie Landstrom …

  An act named Mom Jeans could sound like a joke project to other musicians and listeners, and the titles off Best Buds like “Edward 40hands” and “Scott Pilgrim V My GPA” don’t really help the matter. But don’t let the gimmicky names fool you, Mom Jeans album is surprisingly …

BSKi, a singer from New York that blends Latin rhythms with 90’s R&B, Funk and Hip-Hop in a style that he refers to as “sancochofunk” released his debut EP, Keep it Light, today. I got the chance to listen to it. The 5 song album is a great representation of himself and …

September Mourning is reviving the gothic rock opera with their full-length debut, Volume II. Available now, this album’s 12 tracks weave a thrilling narrative following a heroine who narrowly saves pure souls from the appetite of Fate. The Los Angeles heavy alternative quintet is September (vocals), Riven (guitar), Wraith (guitar), Shadou (bass), and Stitch (drums). …