Boddicker - Crime Upheaval

Who:  Boddicker

What:  Second cassette EP released by the band's just this year!

When:  June 2014

Where:  Indianapolis, IN

Why:   The four Cs of Midwest Hardcore: crime, crust, core, cassette. Also, they cover a Danzig song on this one.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

Boddicker - Crime Upheaval - Ritual Knife

1.  Crime Upheaval -- ****
2.  Rise of the Downtrodden -- *****
3.  Halo of Bullets -- ****
4.  Bath Salt Baptism -- *****
5.  Vigilante -- ****
6.  Executive Decision -- ****
7.  The Isolationist -- *****
8.  Drygulch -- ****
9.  Social Control -- ****
10.  We Are Watching You -- *****
11.  Energy Blackmail -- *****
12.  Brand New God (Danzig) -- *****


Radness Average:  4.500


Boddicker - Crime Upheaval


Verdict:  Earlier this month, you read me going gaga over False Flag. Boddicker is crucial listening. The most impressive band in the America right now.

For fans of:  Cursed, Converge, Trap Them, Bolt Thrower, Insect Warfare




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Architects - Lost Forever//Lost Together

Who:  Architects

What:  Sixth studio album from this British metalcore band, released on Epitaph Records for some reason.

When:  March 2014

Where:  Brighton, UK

Why:   The band wanted to return to its roots.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

Architects - Lost Forever//Lost Together - Epitaph

1.  Gravedigger -- ***
2.  Naysayer -- ****
3.  Broken Cross -- ****
4.  The Devil Is Near -- ****
5.  Dead Man Talking-- ***
6.  Red Hypergiant -- *
7.  C.A.N.C.E.R. -- **
8.  Colony Colapse -- ****
9.  Castles in the Air -- ***
10.  Youth is Wasted on the Young -- ***
11.  The Distant Blue -- ***


Radness Average:  3.091


Architects - Lost Forever//Lost Together


Verdict:  This band's roots are buried in sand. Also, I really hated the digital production on this record. Architects can actually play. Why hide behind the computers?

For fans of:  Bring Me the Horizon, Volumes, Suicide Silence, a less-technical Born of Osiris




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Arch Enemy - War Eternal

Who:  Arch Enemy

What:  Ninth studio album from this prolific melodic Swedish death metal band, released on long-time label Century Media.

When:  June 2014

Where:  Halmstad, SWE

Why:   The first LP with new singer Alissa White-Gluz (ex-The Agonist) ushers in the third era of Arch Enemy's existence.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

Arch Enemy - War Eternal - Century Media

1.  Tempore Nihil Sanat (Prelude in F Minor) -- **
2.  Never Forgive, Never Forget -- ***
3.  War Eternal -- ****
4.  As the Pages Burn -- ***
5.  No More Regrets -- ****
6.  You Will No My Name -- **
7.  Graveyard of Dreams -- ****
8.  Stolen Life -- ***
9.  Time Is Black -- ****
10.  On and On -- ****
11.  Avalanche -- ****
12.  Down to Nothing -- ****
13.  Not Long for This World -- **


Radness Average:  3.308


Arch Enemy - War Eternal


Verdict:  White-Gluz delivers an admirable performance and War Eternal isn't a bad record, but the overly-polished mix job on the album is distracting from the actual songs.

For fans of:  Human Waste Project/The Start, The Angela Gossow years, Evanescence (in a good way)




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50 Cent - Animal Ambition

Who:  50 Cent

What:  Fifth studio album from New York's Finest. Released by G-Unit/Caroline.

When:  June 2014

Where:  NYC

Why:   Interscope Records' mismanagement of this record in the pre-production phase led to 50 Cent leaving the label in 2012. The end result is an album reminiscent of his pre-breakthrough albums like The Power of the Dollar.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

50 Cent - Animal Ambition - G-Unit/Caroline

1.  Hold On -- *****
2.  Don't Worry Bout It -- *****
3.  Animal Ambition -- ****
4.  Pilot -- ****
5.  Smoke -- ****
6.  Every Time I Come Around -- *****
7.  Irregular Heartbeat -- *****
8.  I'm A Hustler -- ****
9.  Twisted -- **
10.  Winner's Circle -- ***
11.  Chase the Paper -- ****


Radness Average:  4.091


50 Cent - Animal Ambition


Verdict:  50 is over the "celebrity thing," he left the major label, and he just wants to play New York Hip-Hop. I dig it. Then again, I've always been a fan. You'll like it if you dug the old stuff or the hits.

For fans of:  Run DMC, East Coast Hip-Hop




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Animals As Leaders - The Joy of Motion

Who:  Animals As Leaders

What:  Third studio album, and first for Sumerian, from this turbo-technical, instrumental progressive metal band.

When:  March 2014

Where:  Washington D.C.

Why:  Because Tobin Abasi is one of the best living guitarists. Seriously, it's like him, Zakk Wylde, and Joe Satriani.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

Animals As Leaders - The Joy of Motion - Sumerian

1.  Ka$cade -- *****
2.  Lippencott -- ***
3.  Air Chrysalis -- *****
4.  Another Year -- **
5.  Physical Education -- ****
6.  Tooth and Claw -- *****
7.  Crescent -- ***
8.  The Future That Awaited Me -- ***
9.  Para Mexer -- ****
10.  The Woven Web -- ***
11.  Mind-Spun -- ****
12.  Nephele -- ****


Radness Average:  3.750


Animals As Leaders - The Joy of Motion


Verdict:  Imagine Eddie Van Halen playing for a vocal-less Dream Theater.

For fans of:  Between the Buried and Me, After The Burial, Periphery, Dysrhythmia




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The Body - I Shall Die Here

Who:  The Body

What:  Fifth studio album of alienating doom/sludge released on RVNG Intl.

When:  April 2014

Where:  Portland, OR via Providence, RI

Why:   British producer The Haxan Cloak helps The Body achieve the next level in rape-eyed audio annihilation.


[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

The Body - I Shall Die Here - RVNG Intl.

1.  To Carry the Seeds of Death Within Me -- *****
2.  Alone All the Way -- *****
3.  The Night Knows No Dawn -- ****
4.  Hail to Thee, Everlasting Pain -- *****
5.  Our Souls Were Clean -- *****
6.  Darkness Surrounds Us -- ****



Radness Average:  4.667



The Body - I Shall Die Here


Verdict:  I haven't felt this unsettled by a record since Venerology by Merzbow.

For fans of:  Thou, Gnaw Their Tongues, Emptiness, Winter, Nurse With Wound




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311 - Stereolithic

Who:  311

What:  Eleventh studio album from America's favorite nu-metal/reggae/ska band, self-released by the band.

When:  March 2014

Where:  Omaha, NE

Why:   Long-running alt-rock band ditches Bob Rock and its major label for the first time since 1991's Music.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

311 - Stereolithic - 311 Records

1.  Ebb and Flow -- ****
2.  Five of Everything -- *****
3.  Showdown -- ****
4.  Revelation of the Year -- ****
5.  Sand Dollars -- *****
6.  Boom Shanka -- **
7.  Make It Rough -- ***
8.  The Great Divide -- *****
9.  Friday Afternoon -- ****
10.  Simply True -- ***
11.  First Dimension -- *****
12.  Made in the Shade -- ***
13.  Existential Hero -- ***
14.  The Call -- **
15.  Tranquility -- **


Radness Average:  3.600


311 - Stereolithic


Verdict:  Veteran band releases quality album that gets ignored by rock radio. It ain't their fault. "Five of Everything" kicks ass.

For fans of:  Sublime, No Doubt, Incubus, 90s nostalgia, Mix 96 radio stations




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Young Widows - Easy Pain

Who:  Young Widows

What:  Fourth studio album of Kentucky noise-rock released by Temporary Residence, LTD.

When:  May 2014

Where:  Louisville, KY

Why:   Former Breather Resist members continue to forge their own rock and roll path.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

Young Widows - Easy Pain - Temporary Residence, LTD

1.  Godman -- *****
2.  Cool Night -- ***
3.  Kerosene Girl -- *****
4.  Doomed Moon -- ***
5.  Gift of Failure -- ***
6.  Bird Feeder -- **
7.  King Sol -- ****
8.  The Last Young Widow -- **
9.  The Money -- *****
10.  In My Living Room -- ***


Radness Average:  3.500


Young Widows - Easy Pain


Verdict:  Not every song is a hit but at least Young Widows is a band with its own voice. Ironically, the single "Kerosene Girl" did score the band a minor radio hit.

For fans of:  The National Acrobat, Lucero, Helmet, Halo of Flies, Shiner

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Boddicker - False Flag

Who:  Boddicker

What:  Early 2014 cassette EP released on the band's own Ritual Knife Records.

When:  January 2014

Where:  Indianapolis, IN

Why:   The four Cs of Midwest Hardcore: crime, crust, core, cassette.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

Boddicker - False Flag - Ritual Knife

1.  Hail of Bullet -- *****
2.  Flesh Eulogy -- *****
3.  Gun Walker -- *****
4.  Amoral Axiom -- *****
5.  High Value Target -- *****
6.  War Party -- *****


Radness Average:  5.000


Boddicker - False Flag


Verdict:  Indianapolis-via-Detroit crust/crime/metalcore band delivers the goods on this preview of their upcoming album. The most impressive band in the Midwest right now.

For fans of:  Cursed, Converge, Trap Them, Bolt Thrower, Insect Warfare

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ACxDC - AntiChrist DemonCore LP

Who:  ACxDC

What:  Debut studio album from this controversial L.A. power violence band, released on Melotov Records.

When:  June 2014

Where:  Los Angeles, CA

Why:   A decade in the making, the AntiChrist DemonCore crew opens the next chapter in the power violence saga.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

ACxDC - AntiChrist DemonCore - Melotov Records

1.  Destroy//Create -- *****
2.  Misled -- *****
3.  Paid in Full -- ****
4.  Vegangelical -- *****
5.  Holmes -- ****
6.  Overstimulated -- *****
7.  Cheap Punks -- ****
8.  Hipler Youth -- *****
9.  Savior Complexxx -- ****
10.  Endless Failure -- ****
11.  Blood -- *****
12.  Dead Cops -- *****
13.  Keep Sweet -- *****
14.  Lifeless -- ****
15.  Filicide -- *****
16.  Give Up -- ****


Radness Average:  4.563


ACxDC - AntiChrist DemonCore


Verdict:  SoCal blast-attack keeps the Slap-A-Ham tradition alive.

For fans of:  Infest, Lack of Interest, Code Orange, Weekend Nachos, Chest Pain




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Alt-J - This Is All Yours

Who:  Alt-J

What:  Sophomore studio album from the English alternative pop-rock sensation, released on Infectious Records.

When:  September 2014

Where:  Leeds, UK

Why:   Follow-up record to 2012's surprise-hit debut LP An Awesome Wave.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

Alt-J - This Is All Yours - Infectious Records

1.  Intro -- *****
2.  Arrival in Nara -- **
3.  Nara -- ***
4.  Every Other Freckle -- ****
5.  Left Hand Free -- *****
6.  Garden of England -- **
7.  Choice Kingdom -- **
8.  Hunger of the Pine -- ****
9.  Warm Foothills -- **
10.  The Gospel of John Hurt -- ***
11.  Pusher -- **
12.  Bloodflood Part II -- ***
13.  Leaving Nara -- ****


Radness Average:  3.154


Alt-J - This Is All Yours


Verdict:  The "Sophomore Slump" strikes but it's not a fatal blow. Half of a great album. "Left Hand Free" totally rules.

For fans of:  AWOLnation, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, MGMT




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Abrams - February

Who:  Abrams

What:  Debut digital EP released by the band.

When:  May 2014

Where:  Denver, CO

Why:   AmRep-style noise-rock meets new-school stoner metal.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

Abrams - February - self-released

1.  The Fucking Cops Are Here -- ****
2.  Mr. Pink Always Wins -- **
3.  Limped Off -- *****
4.  Sea Salt Lines -- ****


Radness Average:  3.750


Abrams - February


Verdict:  These new-school Colorado noise-rock weirdos are on to something. Can't wait to hear more in the future.

For fans of:  Death From Above 1979, Unsane, Hammerhead, Fu Manchu

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Angel Du$t - A.D.

Who:  Angel Du$t

What:  Debut studio album released by React Records/Reaper Records.

When:  June 2014

Where:  Baltimore, MD

Why:   Trapped Under Ice, Turnstile, and Diamond Youth members try to reinvent the wheel by mixing all styles of punk rock together at the same time.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

Angel Du$t - A.D. - React/Reaper

1.  A.D. -- **
2.  Smash You Up -- ***
3.  Let It Rot -- ****
4.  Beat My Brain -- ****
5.  Take My Love -- *****
6.  Squeeze -- ***
7.  A.D.D. -- ****
8.  Stepping Stone -- ***
9.  Poison -- ****
10.  Big One -- **
11.  Pacify Me -- ***
12.  Set Me Up -- ****


Radness Average:  3.417


Angel Du$t - A.D.


Verdict:  Pretty good for a scattershot effort by a band still trying to find its voice.

For fans of:  Down To Nothing, A Day To Remember, New Found Glory, Bouncing Souls

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7 Seconds - Leave A Light On

Who:  7 Seconds

What:  Thirteenth full-length album, and first on Rise Records, from this long-running straightedge punk band.

When:  May 2014

Where:  Reno, NV

Why:   Unlike the lame-asses reuniting to cash in on the nostalgia wave, 7 Seconds never left!

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

7 Seconds - Leave A Light On - Rise Records

1.  Exceptional -- *****
2.  Upgrade Everything -- *****
3.  Slogan on a Shirt -- ****
4.  I Have Faith in You -- *****
5.  30 Years (and still going wrong)  -- *****
6.  Leave A Light On -- *****
7.  Empty Spots -- ***
8.  Your Hate Mentality -- ****
9.  My Aim Is You -- *****
10.  Rage Quit -- ****
11.  Heads Are Bound to Roll -- ***
12.  Standing By Yourself --  ****
13.  Someday, Some Way -- ****
14.  Simple or Absolute -- ****


Radness Average:  4.286


7 Seconds - Leave A Light On


Verdict:  The members of 7 Seconds prove that they've still got it while resisting the urge to morph into grumpy old men a la Bob Mould.

For fans of:  Youth Brigade, Social Distortion, Propaghandi, Husker Du, Minor Threat

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'68 - In Humor and Sadness

Who:  '68

What:  Debut album released on eOne/Good Fight.

When:  July 2014

Where:  Atlanta, GA

Why:  Former mainman of The Chariot channels his inner White Stripes.

[The Radness Average (or star rating) is derived from assigning each song a number of stars based on a 1-5 scale, then adding the total number of stars, and then dividing that number of total stars by the number of songs on the record. A Radness Average of 4.0 or higher indicates a good or great record. A Radness Average of 2.0 or less indicates pure crap. Everything else is in the middle somewhere.]

'68 - In Humor and Sadness - eOne/Good Fight

1.  Track 1 R -- *****
2.  Track 2 E -- *****
3.  Track 3 G -- ****
4.  Track 4 R -- ***
5.  Track 5 E -- *****
6.  Track 6 T -- ***
7.  Track 7 N -- ***
8.  Track 8 O -- *****
9.  Track 9 T -- **
10.  Track 10 . -- *



Radness Average:  3.600


'68 - In Humor and Sadness


Verdict:  Solid debut gets crippled by unoriginal riffs and ideas.

For fans of:  The White Stripes, Jack White, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather

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