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Cage Fight Exuvia Review: The Molt That Actually Bites Back

Cage Fight Exuvia Review: The Molt That Actually Bites Back

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 9 minute read Reviews

A fierce second album that sheds old skin and reveals a band growing sharper, more personal, and unafraid to show vulnerability. Some albums feel like a victory lap. Exuvia shows up... more »

Super Sometimes “Show The World What’s Underneath”: Pop-Punk With No Filter

Super Sometimes “Show The World What’s Underneath”: Pop-Punk With No Filter

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 9 minute read Reviews

Super Sometimes deliver raw, unfiltered pop-punk energy on Show The World What’s Underneath, blending classic skateboard-punk vibes with modern emotional honesty and catchy hooks.... more »

Crown Lands Apocalypse Review: Classic Rock Time Travel, No Seatbelts

Crown Lands Apocalypse Review: Classic Rock Time Travel, No Seatbelts

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 8 minute read Reviews

Discover how Crown Lands reshape classic rock influences into a modern musical journey with their latest album, Apocalypse, blending nostalgic riffs and synths with bold, sprawling... more »

Album Review: Tone Stith’s The Edge—Risk-Taking With the Seatbelt On

Album Review: Tone Stith’s The Edge—Risk-Taking With the Seatbelt On

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 13 minute read Reviews

Tone Stith’s The Edge wants danger and devotion in the same breath—sometimes it jumps, sometimes it just stares down. Some albums arrive like a grand entrance. The Edge kind of… wins a... more »

BULLDAWG Review: Kenny Mason’s Loud Therapy Session Disguised as Rap

BULLDAWG Review: Kenny Mason’s Loud Therapy Session Disguised as Rap

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 13 minute read Reviews

BULLDAWG review for people who like their rap with dents in it—Kenny Mason swings between metal bruises, plainspoken prayers, and money-mad grudges. Some albums start with a welcome.... more »

Little Simz Sugar Girl EP Review: Four Tracks, One Big Flex (Mostly)

Little Simz Sugar Girl EP Review: Four Tracks, One Big Flex (Mostly)

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 10 minute read Reviews

Little Simz’ Sugar Girl EP keeps switching masks—hard bars, queer softness, Yoruba command. The Sugar Girl EP works best when she stops “proving” it. Four songs isn’t much room to build... more »

Telomyras Duskfall Review: Power Metal Cosplays as a Knife Fight

Telomyras Duskfall Review: Power Metal Cosplays as a Knife Fight

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 9 minute read Reviews

Telomyras Duskfall swerves from heroic trad metal to blackened thrash mid-song—sometimes brilliant, sometimes awkward, always loud about it. I hit play expecting a fairly straightforward... more »

The Prelude EP Review: SWAVAY’s “Warm-Up” That Swings Like a Hammer

The Prelude EP Review: SWAVAY’s “Warm-Up” That Swings Like a Hammer

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 10 minute read Reviews

The Prelude EP is a raw and unfiltered exploration of SWAVAY’s life, blending moments of confidence with harsh realities, and delivering an intense listening experience that... more »

Imperatrix Sanguinis Album Review: Blood Countess Goes Full Ice-Cold Goblin Mode

Imperatrix Sanguinis Album Review: Blood Countess Goes Full Ice-Cold Goblin Mode

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 9 minute read Reviews

Blood Countess delivers a feral, raw, and relentless black metal experience with their second album Imperatrix Sanguinis, channeling the primal spirit of the genre through a chilling... more »

Today Sounds Good Review: Like’s “Today Sounds” Hosts the Party—Awkwardly

Today Sounds Good Review: Like’s “Today Sounds” Hosts the Party—Awkwardly

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 10 minute read Reviews

Like’s Today Sounds plays like a rapper dodging the spotlight on purpose—until the guests start outshining him and the whole point gets uncomfortably clear. The first thing Today Sounds... more »

Slowe’s In Moments Album Review: One Room, 12 Songs, No Exit

Slowe’s In Moments Album Review: One Room, 12 Songs, No Exit

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 10 minute read Reviews

Slowe’s In Moments album traps you in a cozy loop—then dares you to call it growth. Here’s what that choice really means. Some albums kick the door in. In Moments shuts it gently, turns... more »

Social Distortion’s Born To Kill Review: Punk for People Who Hate Waiting

Social Distortion’s Born To Kill Review: Punk for People Who Hate Waiting

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 10 minute read Reviews

Born To Kill is Social Distortion kicking down the door after 15 years—loud, defiant, and weirdly life-affirming even when it snarls. For a band that’s been around for more than 40... more »

LORE Album Review: Black Orchid Empire Tries to Prog Without the Homework

LORE Album Review: Black Orchid Empire Tries to Prog Without the Homework

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 9 minute read Reviews

LORE album hits like prog-metal with a pop-length attention span: tight songs, big layers, and just enough chug to start arguments. There’s a specific kind of tension when you press... more »

Cold Comfort Album Review: Stik Figa & Heather Grey Keep It Too Real

Cold Comfort Album Review: Stik Figa & Heather Grey Keep It Too Real

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 11 minute read Reviews

Cold Comfort is stubborn rap-as-day-job music: dry drums, no detours, and a few moments that accidentally get profound. Note: I first shaped these thoughts in Japanese, then translated... more »

No Place Album: Frozen Soul Turns Texas Into a Walk-In Freezer

No Place Album: Frozen Soul Turns Texas Into a Walk-In Freezer

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 10 minute read Reviews

No Place album thoughts: Frozen Soul weaponizes groove, guests, and icy death metal—then dares you to call it “just” brutal. Fort Worth averages around thirty degrees a lot of the... more »

Planet Frog Review: Action Bronson’s Weirdest Flex Is Also Its Problem

Planet Frog Review: Action Bronson’s Weirdest Flex Is Also Its Problem

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 11 minute read Reviews

Planet Frog turns Action Bronson into a drumless magician—until the tricks start repeating and you notice what he’s dodging. The first thing Planet Frog does is dare you to keep nodding... more »

Doe or Die III Review: AZ Still Raps Like Time Owes Him Rent

Doe or Die III Review: AZ Still Raps Like Time Owes Him Rent

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 11 minute read Reviews

Doe or Die III is AZ’s luxury-rap ledger where designer details get four bars and death gets half—on purpose, and it’s unsettling in the best way. AZ opens this record like he’s... more »

Gone With Devil Review: Greek Black Metal Goes Symphonic (Oops)

Gone With Devil Review: Greek Black Metal Goes Symphonic (Oops)

Valeriy Bagrintsev Valeriy Bagrintsev 10 minute read Reviews

Gone With Devil tries to upscale Greek black metal into a glossy arena ritual—sometimes it’s thrilling, sometimes it’s awkwardly “3am, witching hour.” I put on Gone With Devil... more »

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