While he certainly has the ability to rage in a Mel-Gibson-esque blow-me-while -I-burn-the-house-down style, Cave brings enough grace and reticence to the songs, making the proceedings even more sinister. [Oct 2010, p.113]

Pleasantly pastoral. [Nov 2001, p.86]

The live drums and guitars show how the duo's chartbusting sound bears a surprising similarity to modern metal. [Mar 2002, p.86]

The A-side sports some significant drive and heft. [Jul 2003, p.122]

Imagine a pagan Danielson Famile on magic mushrooms, or a folk-rock cLOUDDEAD. [Aug 2004, p.122]

If Good News... isn't the pillar-like masterpiece Modest Mouse fans have waited years for, it's proof that things haven't completely fallen apart. [May 2004, p.92]

Drummer George Barnett's military-precision beats are way up in the mix, but the band dynamic that made "Pyramid" so engaging, vibrant and coruscating, is virtually non-existent. [Apr 2010, p.130]

Shredding is more notable for its urgency and energy. Oh Superchunk! It's so good to have you back. [Oct 2010, p.117]

Taken in one healthy, heroic dose, Typical System feels like a dazzling glimpse into the future of underground rock. [Jul 2014, p.102]

The group put enough spin on the source material to make these songs their own. [Nov 2015, p.97]

The band stand undiminished, combining Leviathan's raging metal with the sterling production of the proggier Crack The Skye.

Blackjazz, by contrast, is fierce and unrelenting, a slavering beast of an album with the complexity and dissonance of the Flying Luttenbachers and the head-down intensity of upstate New York ultra-power trio Borbetomagus.

Smart and adventurous, Wild Flag does not disappoint. [Oct 2011, p.112]

Tells the story of musicians creating something brilliant and new with the well-worn pieces of their punk-indie-hardcore legacy. [Oct 2003, p.124]

A tame but rather satisfying affair. [Aug 2003, p.105]

Depending on your worldview, Art Brut are either the most whimsical folks in Britrock or the most sardonic bastards you've ever worshiped via air guitar. [Jul 2006, p.186]

11 tracks that scorch the earth lesser bands traipse on. [May 2007, p.150]

Ultimately, this is a forceful, headlong album with no ballads or restful interludes among its 10 tracks. [May 2014, p.91]

A full-on party record. [Nov 2005, p.201]

Eyes & Nines melts faces entirely on its own merit. [Jul 2010, p.130]

On their fourth full-length, they sound as menacing as ever. [Nov 2011, p.97]

Answers an interesting question: What if, after The Bends, Radiohead had discovered pedal steel instead of Pro Tools? [Oct 2003, p.138]

Pretty awesome, seriously. [Apr 2008, p.153]

The result is another unique and captivating record, one that melds dancehall reggae, hip-hop, Haitian percussion and a dozen other styles as if they were always meant to be together. [Jun 2014, p.111]

Does it work? It depends on your idea of "flow": If you don't mind sandwiching the Trent Reznorish "Introduce" and the Squarepusher-on-crank mess of "First : Break" between the opulent epics that comprise the middle and the end of the album, Idiology comes off as an inspired collection of irreverent hackery and emotional depth. [Jul 2001, p.79]

Whether your tastes veer toward the Dillinger Escape Plan or John Zorn, Carboniferous is what your soul's been craving. [Mar 2009, p.109]

PUP is 10 songs of irreverent party jams for buds and their gals and their bros.

There's a spiraling circularity to Circumambulation that makes the disc feel more like a hypnotic, deathlike hymn than just a bummer stuck on repeat. [Aug 2013, p.92]