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Conquering the Sophomore Curse - Crast release 'Headspace' LP

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  Sophomore albums can make or break any band. The second album is a major hurdle that many talents fall short of clearing. But Barrie’s own Crast confidently traverse the curse with Headspace, a dominating and fuzz-laden follow-up that end s any skepticism about the longevity of this four-piece.  Showcasing their characteristically explosive guitar riffs and unapologetically raw tone, the production and overall run of Headspace demonstrates healthy and dynamic growth without losing the essence of Crast . Blending elements of fuzzed out alternative, hard rock, psychedelic rock, and dabs of hardcore, Crast delivers 10 tracks that are unique and seamlessly cohesive as part of the whole album.  Led by singles ‘Headlights’, ‘Best Face’, and ‘Plaster’, Headspace follows suit with each track boasting purposeful and provocative time changes that keep the listener engaged from front to back. The driving instrumentation acts as the perfect vehicle for lyrical content that is b...
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Sunshine Pop for a Modern Audience - Club Silencio release second full-length album 'Planet Silencio'

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To describe all that  Planet Silencio  offers would pose the same  difficulties as accurately describing a dream as soon as you wake up - the feeling is vivid, and the affects are fresh, but words just don't seem to do it justice.  The second full-length LP from Barrie-based modern rock band Club Silencio  is a vibrant and expansive dreamscape built upon smoothly layered vocal melodies and distorted guitars. The juxtaposition between the dreamy instrumentation and the lyrical content holds the  listener in uneasy suspension, wondering if or when a sudden drop is coming.  A collection of 11 songs, the first half of Planet Silencio is sunshine pop for a modern, more informed audience and is rich with atmospheric textures. The second half boasts the band's own brand of power pop, filled with driving drum patterns, anthemic choruses and bridges, and soaring guitars.  Club Silencio do not limit themselves to any established criteria for how to make mus...
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A Dangerously Relevant Force - Abraxas Reflux Release Double EP

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Abraxas Reflux and their recently released  Rotten EP reeks of wisdom that only comes from being unjustly fucked with for far too long, and are screaming for some much deserved accountability. The Toronto hardcore outfit are a smart, and dangerously relevant force that exemplify what great musicians do best - give a voice to the voiceless, and be beacons for the disenfranchised.   Combining 4 new tracks with their previously released self-titled debut EP (released in 2022), Rotten fearlessly confronts issues that unfortunately plague each day, including right-wing extremism, attacks against body autonomy, the housing crisis, religious hypocrisy, and villainizing the vulnerable.   Preceded by singles "Constant" and "Rope Bunny", the band sets the tone for their new material that leaves no room for repose. Every track is a bullet point of rectifiable issues, and delivers each one with the passion of someone who has been on the receiving end of trauma. With no time to ...
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It hits you in all the right places - Frank Dux releases debut album "Product of Our Youth"

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  Nearly a decade since the establishment of Frank Dux (pronounced 'Dukes', not 'Ducks'), the Cambridge four-piece have released their debut and it was well worth the wait.  Product of Our Youth is a melodic punk oddity. Every track feels so fresh and exciting, but is intimately laced with nostalgia that immediately transports the listener back to the late nights of crafting the perfect mixtape. It hits you in all the right places.   Blending elements of pop punk, skate punk, and hardcore, Frank Dux have composed a love letter to the music that has influenced them and an entire generation that grew up with late night drives (usually with a shitty aux cable), days at the skate park, and scraping enough money together to see a show at a greasy little club we couldn't tell our parents about.   The guitar work is sharp, with riffs that drive each track without feeling repetitive. Lyrically, Product of Our Youth touch the pillars of late 90's/early 2000s punk st...
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It's not an album, it's a reckoning - SELIAS releases debut album

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Headshot  could not be a more apt title for the debut album from SELIAS .  Seemingly from nowhere, Headshot strikes its listener with such force, you can't help but struggle with your own wits to stay planted. That struggle to remain anchored while the psyche swings violently between fight or flight is a prevalent theme throughout this ferocious debut.  Hailing from Toronto,  SELIAS have created a sinister blend of melodic death metal, groove metal, and metalcore that is dynamic, fresh, and aggressive. The band has combined high-flying clean vocals, guttural screams from depths unknown, blistering guitars, and blasting drums into a singular offering that never feels forced, or carelessly thrown together. Every song can stand alone, or as a chapter of a story that will haunt your dreams. The composition of each song is unique with production that aids the chaos that Headshot contains.  The content of Headshot is less of a deep-dive into the waters of a tort...
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Death to the Ego, Long Live Wolf Fang Fist

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  Baytown Hardcore broke down the doors of 2024 and came in swinging hard.  Joining their roster mates with a new EP, Baytown's  Wolf Fang Fist  have continued to bolster the newly reinvigorated hardcore scene with Ego Death.  Ego Death is the follow up EP to last year's No Chance // Game Over and marks a significant growth in the band's evolution into a hardcore powerhouse. Where their first release centered on the frustration and aggression stemming from internal conflicts of self doubt, alienation, and inherited trauma - Ego Death is a clear call to arms and everyone has their part to play to create a better place for others and yourself. Look no further than the album art of their two EPs to get a taste of what lies beyond the graphic. No Chance // Game Over is a snapshot of bleak, minimal misery and Ego Death boasts a city engulfed in flames while a beast rages on.   Five tracks and clocking in shy of 12 minutes, Ego Death is filled with menacing ...
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Unencumbered by Common Decency - Evil Villain release debut EP

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Just one 'ting' and you're pulled into chaos.  That is what awaits listeners as soon as they start the debut EP from Toronto's Evil Villain . One 'ting' then the blast beats and double kicks of opening track Tumer'd  start their assault without any mercy or regard for the listener's well-being. Building on the band's first release, a demo version of The Cycle , Evil Villain has not only layered and bulked up their sound - but have taken the time to craft an intricate and defined sound that doesn't take away from the raw and unencumbered rage the lyrics instill. Lyrically, Evil Villain does not hold back and takes the listener to the darkest recesses of decency. Addressing feelings of hatred we might feel for ourselves looking in the mirror, to the rage towards a society that seems content in its own crumbling, to the sadistic actions humans can perpetrate against one another - the band doesn't shy away from any of it.  It can be easy to fall ...
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