It’s less dynamic, less technical, less energetic, less everything.

Midnight Scorchers is one of the rare LPs that takes the lightning out of the bottle, blasts it around the room, and then puts it back in another bottle.

Sure, Saint Cecilia fills itself with all inclusive lyrics that Grohl has become known for. Yes, there are some midtempo shifts that you wish you could skip over. But out of five songs, four are solid.

One or two tracks could have been cut but overall, this is a random yet pleasant surprise. And one that's definitely sure to please fans of both.

Whether it's rock songs chock-full of reverb, haze or distortion, at the end of the day Untethered Moon is another well-assembled, guitar-driven gem that will continue to keep Built To Spill as fresh and alive as ever.

Mike Patton fans know to expect the unexpected, and will love this. For Dave Lombardo fans, Dead Cross will be more of a stretch. If you’re an open minded hardcore fan (is that an oxymoron?), I can’t recommend this enough.

Apocalipstick isn't just a record, it's an experience about being hungry, fearless and restless in a world that condemns those for being such.

11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory is all about our conviction, belief, the redemption we seek... and ultimately, triumph of the human spirit. Not a bad way to dropkick off the year.

Before a Million Universes is made up of good songs. Certain ones, you'll want to listen to over and over. But as a full record with two centered roadblocks, it needs you to earn the experience.

The vibe of III is purposefully loose but these two thrive with structure. Bad Books remains a way to show Hull and Devine are just as effective with minimal backing but III could have released a series of singles for the same general effect.

Evil Spirits is compact and focused. Instead of trying any new idea they might come across, the band, perhaps refreshed from the rather long period since their last album, has asked themselves, and not the fans, what the Damned are and have crafted a release that acts as much as a return to glory as it does a self-definition for the band.

All in all, J.M. have churned out a fun record--bouncy, catchy, melodic as fuck--but it lacks the impetus and edge of old.

Paul Walker is painfully realistic, openly grim and socially unconscious, expressing a worldview that really, only Kindlon seems comfortable expressing in our scene.

M-Glory took a risk by being unique and going for the bigger sound. It was a gamble that paid off immensely.

This is far and away the best record Ragan has done.

IV is a worthy return that shows the Bronx still have those chops.

I can only assume the title Save Rock and Roll is intentionally ironic on their part because even they should know it's quite a stretch to call this rock and roll.

While it may not be relatable, it is a rewarding journey.

Not their best, not their worst... but something that'll move you as usual and help you appreciate life for the gift it is.

I didn't get that rough cut as much as I would have liked on this album, but other than that, this is a front-to-back gem with great replay value and anthemic shout-alongs I wish I could take in live.

One of the strongest albums this band has released in thirty years.

It is a skillful, daring, side-step into a new plane that leaves the band with far more aspects to explore than when they started.

Their last effort, Keep You, signified this transition fully after a split with Touche Amore hinted at it years ago, and now, Wait For Love cements the change. Gone are the days of The Lack Long After and Old Pride but in this rebirth, something just as beautiful has emerged.

Thrashing Through the Passion is easily the band’s softest album to date. Where most Hold Steady albums fill the room with sound, there’s a lot of quiet and negative space on this album. While the band’s other albums wrap you up in an awkward hug of emotions and drag you through to a catharsis, this album is passive.

It fosters a lot of indie-pop, sensibly and gracefully blended into a hazy production that never misses a beat on how catchy, minimal yet smartly technical it sounds.

They've always done hardcore pretty well but now, as you can tell off tracks like "American Death" there's something new the band wants to explore and succeed at. In fact, this reminds me of Suicidal Tendencies and set the stage for other punk tracks like "War" and "Flowers Under Siege" to make the record just as political as it is personal. And hell, they're actually succeeding at it.

No Coast is a record that encapsulates their evolution pretty well, as a record that allows space to let the music dig in to your skin, and also, as one to show that there's no need to fear change.

The So So Glos have crafted twelve sing-along punk numbers. The Clash influence is crystal clear in both sound and message. Now though, the production value has been raised, opening the gates to attract new fans.