The Return to Melancholy
Eulogy Recordings
2000 CD The one and only full-length by this Floridian "emo metalcore" band, on Eulogy Records. My first serious listen of this in many years -- I expected to find some glowing reviews of this online, or maybe some mentions of it being a "hidden gem" or whatever... but this might be a specific release that tickles my testicles and doesn't do much for others. I think this is probably the best album in this particular genre. Not one of the best or top 10 or whatever. The best.
Speaking literally, this isn't without issues. Mixing is so-so, the rhythm section is extremely basic, lyrics range from awkward to aggressively bad "oneitis" type stuff, there are some musical hiccups here and there (when one particular song is ending you can hear one of the band members mumble "I fucked up" lmao). Doesn't matter. This is an emotive guitar and vocals driven album, and both elements are exemplary. Guitars are melodic and extremely catchy, bereft of tired chugs and melodeath rip-off riffs. Track two features this really tense build-up and then explodes into a solo laid over a breakdown. Incredibly powerful, I have no idea why more bands didn't do this. It's such an obvious thing, looking at it now. As for the vocals, they're this weird sort of semi-legible hoarse growl-scream. Creepy and effective.
If this were black metal we'd call it a "kvlt" album or some shit. Essential, truly.
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed: 03/14/26
Shikari
Level Plane Records
2002 2003 CD Damn this is really short. A 7" record transferred over to CD, it's wrapped up in 11.5 minutes.
What we have here is noisy early 2000s Dutch screamo. Instrumentation is pretty good, though all four tracks admittedly sound similar. It's got that certain type of production where the screams are pushed to the background trying to fight desperately to break through the racket of guitar noise. Some decent moments, but it all ultimately feels like an appetizer for a full-length that never arrived.
Oh, there's actually thirty minutes of live content here too -- but it's video, as this is an enhanced CD. The vocalist rolls around on the floor the entire time.
Rating: 3/5
Reviewed: 03/13/26
Stream from the Heavens
Peaceville Records
1994 2009 CD Like other obscure microgenres funeral doom metal was basically perfected around its inception, what with the likes of Funeral, Evoken, Skepticism, and these mofos: Thergothon. This being their only full-length album.
This isn't especially depressive or even "heavy" -- instead, Stream from the Heavens channels the spirit of Lovecraft and cosmic horror. This is weird, alien stuff, played charismatically. Guitars are tuned low as shit, hazy and flanged. No one is credited with actually playing bass, as apparently that wasn't needed. Drumming is clinincal, slow and deliberate with tension between each beat. Vocals are multifaceted: clean droning chants become overlain by abyssal "burps." I'm reminded of Demilich, naturally, but these burps aren't as frantic. More of a purposeful, authoritative narration. The persistent whispy, reedy synths absolutely steal the show though, serving as the skeletal structure of the entire album.
There's little technicality to be found on this; it gets by on atmosphere alone. Yes, it drags in (several) parts, and would probably become painful were it to exceed its forty-minute runtime. Nevertheless, one of the most notable entries of mid-90s extreme metal. There really isn't anything quite like it.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed: 01/09/26
To This Bearer of Truth
Stonehenge Records
2004 CD Union of Uranus (also just called "Uranus") was a Canadian hardcore (loosely speaking) band -- and like many others their discography was so short in duration it could later be compiled onto a single CD. The CD is packed in this cardboard slipbox slider thing that looks kind of neat but is easily damaged. I am pleading with everyone to go back to jewel cases. This is also one of MANY discography albums where the songs and tracks don't match. In this particular case, two tracks each contain two songs, so there are eleven songs total but only nine tracks. I assume this is some sloppy rushed job of converting vinyl and cassette audio to CD? I hate it.
Musically, this is unique to the point where I'm really struggling to pinpoint a singular style. RateYourMusic slaps no less than six genre tags on this bastard, though I think the guy who calls this "emo metal" fundamentally has the right idea. And being a compilation, there's some variation among the songs. The first five songs represent the band's final output: a crusty species of screamo with somewhat subdued raspy vocals. A few moments waver dangerously close to Swedish black metal. These songs are the tightest instrumentally, but all sound too similar. I prefer the earlier material on the back half of the disc. It may be sloppier but it exudes a great youthful energy. The CD unceremoniously closes with an extremely loyal Negative Approach cover (not much wiggle room when the original song is 14 seconds, I suppose).
Rating: 3/5
Reviewed: 03/14/26
One Hundred Mornings
100% Electronica
2018 2020 LP I've got mixed opinions about all this "wave" stuff. There's certainly too much of it, for starters.
This is instrumental synth music, which I like, and the synth tone is fantastic. And the first track ("Caligula") is an absolute groove machine. Kicks ass. Unfortunately the rest of the album fails to reach that level. Most every track sounds the same, with near identical bass lines and drum beats. Soon it becomes background music. Maybe that's "the point" of something like this, but in most cases I'd just prefer silence.
Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed: 01/25/26
Ymir
Werewolf Records
2020 CD It's always a good sign (is it?) when a black metal dude wears another band's shirt on an album cover. In this case, it's Emperor. And damn that's some deep snow; I hope that guy has some good boots. Ymir is one of those "one guy with session musicians" BM bands, this time out of Finland. And if the Emperor shirt didn't tip you off, this is purposefully "old school" second wave revival type black metal. "Generic" as hell, sure, but played rather well. It's grim and frostbitten with loads of tremolo picking and fierce blasts. Keyboards are here but unobtrusive to the point I lose track of them, and vocals are the typical rasp. Production is beefier than expected, thick and enveloping like the pictured snowstorm. Good enough of a release overall, but not something I'll return to often.
One final oddity about this band/guy -- their/his first demo was released in 1999, the second in 2006, but no full-length until 2020!!! What's going on?! Was he lost in the woods???
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewed: 09/28/25
The First Seven Inch
Track Star Records
1997 2001 7" One of the best screamo bands of the 1990s, without question. This is the first and only 7 inch released by You and I -- the overly literal title was only affixed to this reissue; the original pressing is either self-titled or called Hearts On Paper depending on who you ask. The back of the record jacket has a photo of the band playing live while wearing dress shirts and neckties -- I think that was "a thing" for a little while.
The guitars here are awesome. Big sweeping chaotic riffs that lurch into metalcore chugs, and then back again. I have no idea if there's supposed to be a "lead vocalist" on this, or how many people are providing vocals period. It feels like one guy will step up to the mic and just go off until he's out of breath and then his buddy will tag in. Super earnest delivery, super sappy "emo" lyrics that are oddly legible courtesy of all the semi-screamed and clean passages. Unapologetic basement production. Track three begins with a sample from It's a Wonderful Life.
Kicks ass, basically.
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewed: 03/12/26
All Else Failed
Steadfast Records
1996 2020 CD One of the first truly notable Christian hardcore albums. A Ship of Theseus band; no one who played on All Else Failed is still involved with Zao.
Technically this is metalcore. And being 1996, this means more literal "metallic hardcore" without pronounced death and black influences. As such, it's a little impenetrable for my taste. Still decent and plenty energetic though. They've got the typical old hardcore one-guitarist line-up here, which means the bass is fairly pronounced (even isolated at certain segments). A frontloaded album, this starts to drag about halfway through. The standard shouty vocals don't help much, nor do the odd shoehorned "experimental" elements. That said, there's enough sheer enthusiasm to carry this.
Can't help but be struck by these lyrics, which are way more explicitly reverent compared to their later, abstract material.
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewed: 12/24/25