A Storm Of Light/Between The Buried And Me/Staple/Flex/Mewithoutyou

And We Wept The Black Ocean Within-Yet another post-metal/sludge/doom band that sings of Water/Nature. This CD i took my time in listening to. I have listened to it consecutively 15x in a row. It's just that good! The band has members from Neurosis, Red Sparowes, and other doom influenced bands. This band considers themselves "Whale Metal", and when you listen to them, you will see yourself why they label themselves such. Recommended for fans of: Seven Nautical Miles, Pelican, Sleep, Crowbar, etc. Overall Rating: 9.7/10
The Anatomy Of-Btbam's 4th release. This is a full length album in traditional aspect, but it is a cover album. The band covers all their influences (metallica, motley crue, soundgarden, queen, king crimson, pink floyd, smashing pumpkins, earth crisis, sepultura, blind melon, faith no more, depeche mode, pantera, and counting crows). The band has very odd influences because the band plays avant-garde progressive metalcore. BTBAM plays alot of the songs so they sound just like the originals, and it's good. The only song that they changed was "Blackened" by metallica. Their rendition sounds so much better than metallica's original, and they use death metal vocals for a song that had light thrash vocals. The best song on the whole album besides "Blackened" would have to be the rendition of "Us And Them" by Pink Floyd because the song sounds close to the original, which is hard for alot of bands to pull off. Recommended for fans of: 90's alternative, deaththrash, and heavy metal. Overall Rating: 6/10
Of Truth + Reconciliation-A CD that sadly didn't get enough attention from popular music fans. Staple's music is very off-kilter from the average post hardcore/hard rock. The band sounds like a fusion of Silverstein and Project 86. They're too screamy for post hardcore, but are too light to be metalcore. Staple really defies the genres it takes influence from. The 2nd half of the album is alot more memorable, but the heavier material starts off the album. Recommended to fans of: Silverstein, Project 86, and P.O.D. Overall Rating: 8/10
Te Quiero-Another, but even worse than Hawthorne Heights, guilty pleasure. I heard the title track "Te Quiero" so much over the summer when i was landscaping with 10 mexicanos, that it just got attached to me. I thought the man went by the name El Nigga until i was looking for the CD at best buy last weekend and saw the title "Te Quiero" but under the name Flex. My band is planning, mainly as a joke, to try and think up of a way to make the title track into a deathcore cover song. Recommended for fans of: Pitbull, Daddy Yankee, other standard reggaeton musicians. Overall Rating: 9/10 
[A->B] Life-The first full length release of Mewithoutyou. Has a fair amount of songs that make the CD worth listening to. It's hard to really pick a favorite song because the album wasn't too memorable. Recomended to fans of: Saetia, I Wrote Haikus About Cannibalism in Your Yearbook, Circle Takes The Square, and Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? Overall Rating: 6.7/10

Between The Buried And Me/Bury Your Dead/A Silver Mt. Zion/Suffocate For Fuck Sake/Death Cab For Cutie

The Silent Circus-Probably the best of all of BTBAM's releases. Amazing sound for a sophomore release. Tracks like Mordecai, where the song blasts in, then gets light and fades out; happen a couple times throughout the album. The songs have great technical lines. My favorite songs besides mordecai though, are the light tracks "Reaction" and "(Shevanel Take 2)". Recommended for fans of: Born Of Osiris. Overall Rating: 8.4/10
Beauty And The Breakdown-A nice follow-up to "Cover Your Tracks". The album was based off old folk stories (3 little pigs, Snow white, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Peter Pan, and Beauty and the Beast). The album has great breakdown lines and the lighter parts of each song did pretty good. Recommended to fans of: Misery Signals and Eternal Lord. Overall Rating: 8.3/10
Horses In The Sky-A side project for members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The band most of the time goes by the title "Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band" but also has other nicknames (Mainly A Silver Mt. Zion). I Don't remember much of the CD because i listened to it so long ago and i don't have a hard copy of the release. But i know i liked it alot, and my favorite Silver Mt. Zion song was on the release. I know this will be hard to find, even online; but i know i will find a way to buy a copy. Recommended to fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Set Fire To Flames, Sigur Ros, Aereogramme and Hrsta. Overall Rating: 8.4/10
Suffocate For Fuck Sake-I was set aback the first time i heard about this band. I found them on a RAR downloads site. I decided to look online for the band and i listened to the music on their myspace and extremely enjoyed it. I downloaded the CD and since, i have listened to it in full 5 times. I really need to buy the CD so i can listen to it more. Recommended for fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Irreversible, Seven Nautical Miles, and A Storm Of Light. Overall Rating: 9.8/10
We Have The Facts And We're Voting Yes-Yet again, another mediocre DCFC release. But this one to me is different. Because this one, later in the album, actually draws you in. When your just about to turn it off "Company Calls" comes on and just keeps you attached to the rest of the CD. Really i think this album is tracks 7-10. Recommended to fans of: The Shins. Overall Rating: 6.9/10

The Chariot/Northern Ash/The Sound Of Animals Fighting/Seven Nautical Miles/Sorrowstorm

Everything Is Alive, Everything Is Breathing, Nothing Is Dead And Nothing Is Bleeding-Good mathcore, reminiscent of early norma jean. The release is really chaotic and contains norma jean's old singer. The best track is #2 "Someday, In The Event That Mankind Actually Figures Out What It Is This World Revolves Around, Thousands Of People Will Be Shocked And Perplexed To Find Out That It Was Not Them. Sometimes This Includes Me...". Although the whole album is under a half hour and was recorded in one session, it is still worth a listen. Recommended to fans of: Norma Jean, Every Time I Die. Overall Rating: 7.7/10
The Age Of Irrationality-I bought this cd in high hopes that my friend Felipe would prove me wrong that there is some good thrash out there (especially the kind he creates). This CD was released in limited quantities through sullen records (a sublabel of Open Grave). The CD had its ok points, but it wasn't an amazing CD. It's very avant-garde and different. The music ranges from death/thrash to black/thrash to thrash. It is acceptable and i really only keep it as a collectable. Recommended to fans of: Sorrowstorm, Encryptor, Rehumanize, Transfigural Form, Ministros Del Santuario, and Eden In Ruins. Overall Rating: 4.7/10
The Ocean And The Sun-Yet again, anthony green has failed to impress me this year. I was so upset when i heard this release. It is more of a "raw, go back to the roots" "Tiger and the Duke"-era TSOAF. I can't even describe why i don't like it. Hopefully it grows on me, because right now i've given it quite a shitty rating. Maybe i have to buy a hard copy and maybe i'll like it; but i'm in no rush whatsoever to buy it. Recommended to fans of: Chiodos and Circa Survive. Overall Rating: 1/10
Every Ocean Reversed-One word, Amazing. This band plays great sludgy/doomy post-metal. I can't wait to buy this release on hard copy. Overall Rating: 10/10
Onward-Another release from my friend felipe, with his solo black metal project Sorrowstorm. This is a rerecorded/rerelease/compilation of his old material (his full length and EP). I must say, this release was far better than his Northern Ash material, and his older, more raw, Sorrowstorm recordings. It has it's high points mainly at the center of the album. Felipe proved me that rereleases can be better, and i'm thankful he made me wait instead of sending me the old versions of his CD's. Recommended to fans of: Encryptor, Rehumanize, Ministros Del Santuario, and Northern Ash. Overall Rating: 7.6/10

North/Norma Jean/Mortification/Mountains Became Machines/Journey

Siberia-A very simplistic atmospheric sludge/post-rock album. The cd came in a simple paper case with the name north stamped on the front and the tracklisting stamped on the back. I was upset when i bought it and the band sent no confirmation email or anything stating i bought it; and everything was up in the air till it came in the mail. It was a good listen, but upsettingly it skipped alot on the first listen. Defenitely listen to "Hope In The Form Of Light" if you can get a hold of this bands album. Recommended to fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Irreversible, and Mountains Became Machines. Overall Rating: 6.9/10
Norma Jean Vs. The Anti Mother-I decided to finally let go of my hatred for norma jean and start listening to them again. I got into them enough that i bought the vinyl box set of their old releases and pre-ordered this cd for an annoying 20$ (that website seenon sucks dick). I got it and listened to it, and it is pretty good. They go into the more sludgy elements of mathcore and slowed down their music even more than they slowed it on their album redeemer. The band wrote this cd as a collective with the band Helmet helping them write, record, and perform through the whole album. It wasn't memorable, but it is a good listen. Recommended to fans of: Helmet, Clutch, "redeemer" era norma jean, and Every Time I Die. Overall Rating: 7.2/10
Relentless-A very different release from Mortification in their early 2000's era. This was their turning point from standard thrash going back to their old death-thrash roots. Each song actually varies in style and you can't give a solid label to the album. Songs range from thrash, to alternative metal, to extreme thrash metal. The album has a good run with songs like "Web Of Fire", "Syncretize", "The Other Side Of The Coin", "Altar Of God", "3 Of A Kind", and "Arm The Annointed".  The album has good groove and a good layout to keep you interested even after one or two sucky songs, because another then comes in and blows you away again. The album just passes the 60 minutes mark, and is a higher point in Mortification's history. Recommended to fans of: ...Mortification. Overall Rating: 8/10
Paths-An ingenious Atmos-sludge band from Stoke-On-Trent, UK. The band has a very different style with their art and their lyrical themes (the band is mostly instrumental, but when they sing, they sing of mountains and such). The band is all for the download and distribute mentality and if you can't afford the cd, you can get internet copies for free. The band has 3 tracks on this debut release. All clocking in over 10 minutes. They all have their different elements that make them really good. Recommended for fans of: new wave norma jean, Pelican, Irreversible, Bossk, and North. Overall Rating: 9.8/10
Trial By Fire-A cheap journey release i found in a grocery store for 6$. I said "i might as well get it at this price" and purchased the cd and some gatorade. i brought it home and left it on the table, wrapped, for a good 2-3 weeks before finally giving in and listening to it. The cd is standard journey, except that none of these songs were popular. Most of the songs were love ballads, but they did have some heavy metal moments, and a good solo in almost every song. I still think that neal schon is a very underrated guitarist, and should deserve some attention for his great talent. The album was worth what i paid for, but i wouldn't pay any less, or more for it. Recommended to fans of: 80's alternative, arena rock, adult rock, and hair metal. Overall Rating: 4.9/10

Beneath The Sky/Sigur Ros/Beneath The Sky/Anthony Green/The Blood Countess

What Demons Do To Saints-At first, i barely even cared about this band. To me they sounded like standard hardcore/metalcore. But recently i listened to them and fell in love. I found out that the band was christian (during this release) and i really embraced it. Then i heard 7861. Best song ever!!!! Blasting in with his raspy vocals "7861, blackthorne, 7861, blackthorne" Ultimately made this band of high liking on my music roster. Although they were signed to victory, i really don't care, i like the band for what they play, not because of their shitty label. Great music, great melodeath metalcore. Recommended for fans of: between the buried and me and darkest hour. Overall rating: 8.6/10
Meo Suo i Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust-The american title "With a Buzz In Our Ears We Play Endlessly" is the 5th studio release of post-rock/shoegaze legends Sigur Ros. This album they really went more in a poppy direction and dropped their shoegaze influence on the entire first-half of the album. I really enjoyed it because i'm a fan of all sigur ros' material. The track Gobbledigook" which is based on freedom, nudism, and naturism; was the main single off the cd, and has been a hit all over the world, including with me. It is really poppy happy-go-lucky, but it really grabs you into the cd and keeps you listening. The cd slows down and goes back to their early influences at the halfway point-the end of the album. Recommended for fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, Aereogramme, Set Fire To Flames, and Hrsta. Overall Rating: 8.8/10
The Day The Music Died-The bands lyrical change of pace. This album just recently released to the public and i picked it up the week after the release came out. The band drops the f bomb a good 20x through the hole album, and they have obviously dropped their christian beliefs from their lyrics in 90% of the material. The album opens up good with a fun intro where a couple making out in a car is attacked by zombies and then hits an awesome opening breakdown. The first 4-5 tracks are good, but the cd sorta slowed to a boringness later in the album because it sounded all the same. The band put a good effort in their run and sadly broke up in mid-august after they put out this album. Recommended for fans of: (band members side project, now full time band) Eyes Over Hollywood, Darkest Hour, other melo-death metalcore bands. Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Avalon-A disappointing release that alot of people looking forward to it got let down. Anthony Green has been around (Circa Survive, Saosin, Sound Of Animals Fighting, High And Driving, Audience Of One, Jeer At Rome, and Zolof and the Rock and Roll Destroyer) He has released plenty of solo demos and solo renditions of some of his other bands songs. Surprisingly, the raw demos he recorded were alot better than the versions put on cd. I just really think the world wasn't ready for a cd of anthony green as a solo musician yet, and alot of people still prefer hearing the songs as demos, especially me. I'd prefer if he had just compiled his demos into a cd instead of rerecording them. Recommended for fans of: all anthony green's other projects. Overall Rating: 5/10
The Clarion Call-One word "Epic". Really good quality Epic deathcore influenced death metal from Phoenix, Arizona. Not too memorable besides the fact that the first 4 tracks line up perfectly to the movie the wizard of oz hahaha. The main tracks to listen to on this cd though are 2 and 3 "Nascency" and "Carrion". Besides the 2 tracks, the cd is sort of a bore, but it is really good. Recommended to fans of: Eternal Lord. Overall Rating: 6.7/10

Plague Of Ashitaka/Chelsea Grin/Voyager/Hawthorne Heights/Berith

Taking Lives On Ancient Tides-I got deep into the underground of the UK deathcore scene recently and pulled this band out and chose them as good examples of good UK DC. They play death metalcore with high raspy black metal vocals. The band is known for its more technical lines than their breakdowns. Although many of the local people i've talked to don't like them (their local nickname is plague of ashicaca) they draw in a good crowd outside of the UK. My band actually took influence from their logo in creating ours. Recommended to fans of: As winter burns white, the argent dawn, send forth the colony, virulence, viatrohphy, and all UK scenecore bands. Overall Rating: 8/10
Chelsea Grin-The epitome of good california brand deathcore. They have come into the cali scene relatively late because the scene started big about 3-4 years ago, but this band comes with power. Chelsea grin is actually the term for cutting someone from ear to ear, leaving a giant smile shape cut, because usually they cut from the mouth to each ear. A good name for a great band. They are the heavy side of deathcore and borderline brutal DC on some occasions. The best track is track 5 "Lifeless". The song blasts in with 2 guys guttural and yelling "get the F*#k Up!" and the outro of the song has a sound clip of a girl orgasming which gives a good humor factor to the song. This band has alot of power and should be recognized for their skill. Recommended to fans of: Hacksaw to the throat, impending doom, all bands from the south cali-deathcore scene, the roman holiday, born of osiris. Overall Rating: 9.4/10
Voyager-A surprisingly good sludge release from a band that formerly played melo-death metal. The band formed under the name Waking Judea and played melodic death metal. They released an album and an ep before they broke up in 2006. Then reformed and came out with a full length that was never released but can be purchased as mp3's off the myspace. after a few members left, the core 3 decided to form a new group that would play sludge/doom/post-rock material and changed their name to Voyager. (which is a very cliche standard, 1 word, simplistic sludge doom name, but good nonetheless) I bought this EP only a month after it came out and listened to it and enjoyed myself alot with it. Recommended to fans of: Isis, Earth, Pelican, Sleep, Gum, Irreversible, and all standard post-metal/sludgedoom. Overall Rating: 8.3/10
Silence In Black And White-People think i'm a freak when i say that i like this album. This is one of my many guilty pleasures. Very standard new wave emo/post-hardcore. The lyrics are very cliche to what they play. I don't even know why i enjoy myself when i listen to this release, because i hate all their other releases. I guess because i've listened to this one album for so long, that i just accepted it as part of my life/personality. I can never really pick out a favorite song because i've basically memorized the whole album; but i'd say that the ones that jump out at me are Niki FM and Ohio Is For Lovers because they were the 2 most popular singles off the album, although there are other songs just as good on the CD. I have the 1 of the 2 bonus edition releases. They released a standard copy, and then 2 versions as bonuses; one with a white, and the other with black slip covers. The cd included 7 bonus tracks which were demo versions of 3 songs, some live acoustic and an acoustic version of their more popular songs, and an early track from their first album when they were under the moniker A Day In The Life. It also came with a bonus dvd with live videos, interviews, and etc; and the flip side of the dvd had the same deal, but it was for labelmates silverstein. They also reissued it, trying to keep the bands epic album alive. Recommended for fans of: victory records bands, silverstein, escape the fate, and other standard new wave emo/post hardcore. Overall Rating: 9.5/10
Symphony Of The Suffering-A rare breed of music from Brazil. Brazil's scene is sugar coated in thrash metal, black metal, and mainly death-thrash (sepultura as a main example). But once in a while you find a good death metal band. Berith is one of those select few that are good. It is very standard 90's death with symphonic and progressive influence. Their sadly isn't anything i can really remember from the cd, wasn't too memorable; but it's one of those bands you won't get rid of the cd, even though you barely listen to it. This band is committed and talented, and i'm awaiting their next release with high hopes. Recommended to fans of: any labelmates on extreme records, or any brazilian death or black metal. Overall Rating: 7.4/10

Agalloch/Death Cab For Cutie/Eminence/Breaking Benjamin/Agalloch

Split 10" with Nest-The only reason i got it was because i found it at my favorite cd store in a pile of random records. It's a collectible and i was like "wow, i'm going to get this because it may be worth something down the road." This is a single song by each band; "Wolves Of Timberline" by Agalloch and "Last Vestige Of Old Joy" by Nest (an ambient band thats for some reason in metal archives, the site is so contradicting!!!). The Agalloch song was sort of a bumride because it was 4 minutes, while Nest did a pretty good job for a band i don't like. Their song was 5 minutes and had some meaty layers of atmosphere. For fans of black ambient, folk, and post-rock genres. Overall rating: 6.7/10
The Photo Album-A simple EP by death cab for cutie. Didn't do too much for me. It was in their mediocre transitionary phase, and after i listen to it, i forget that i even heard it. Overall Rating: 4.8/10
The Quest For Immortality-The rarest release i have in my collection. This rare new jersey power metal band put their best into this one demo. My dad went to a party and got it, he left it in his cassette collection for 20 years until i came around; he gave it to me, i threw it in the attic, and i found it a couple of weeks ago. I took a real listen this time around, and it was pretty good. The vocals sound alot like geddy lee of rush, and the music sound like iron maiden. The only bad thing about it was the one or two ballads on the cassette, besides that, it's catchy. It's upsetting the band got nowhere and no one ever heard of them. Recomended to fans of: Rush and Iron Maiden. Overall Rating: 8.8/10
We Are Not Alone-Probably the only recent alternative hard rock band that i have a cd for. I don't know why i like them, i guess they're sort of a guilty pleasure. They're catchy. The tracks don't really go much of anywhere, but two or 3 songs have some progressions in it that make it sound different from the others. Recomended to fans of: Lostprophets, Disturbed, Lucerin Blue. Overall rating: 8.5/10
Ashes Against The Grain-Best of all Agalloch releases, by far. This is mainly for fans of their early black material, and fans of their folk material. This cd is really a fusion of the old and new material, but with alot more balls. It has strong vocals, great melody, blasting double bass. Each song has it's own individual reasons to listen to it. Limbs, for its beauty. Falling Snow for its melodies and blasting drums. Fire Above, Ice Below for its darkness. Not Unlike The Waves for it's dark melody and strong beauty. and the trilogy track our fortress is burning for its power. When you listen to Agalloch, you can't listen to one song, you need to listen in full; if not, you have to listen to the song in full (each one around 7-14 minutes). Recomended to fans of: Opeth. Overall Rating: 11/10