From the Department of Least Likely to Surprise You comes, well, a huge surprise. What would happen if Limp Bizkit collaborated with U2? Who woulda thought that Linkin Park would be the ones to bring together Erving Goffman and Public Enemy? The track “Wretches and Kings” starts with the line, “To save face, how low can you go?” I’m afraid that I have more questions than answers. A Thousand Suns is big and soaring and weird, like some strange bird that you’re surprised can even fly. Some are calling it Linkin Park’s OK Computer. I don’t know about that. Hell, it might not even be their White Pony, but it’s more often than not a far cry from the rap-rock they’re known for, and well worth a spin or five.

—Roy Christopher, 14 October 2010

Austin, Texas might not be a hotbed of heavy metal, but The Sword could make you think otherwise. Mixing monolithic-but-driving doom like Pentagram and Saint Vitus with old-timey core metal like Black Sabbath and Budgie with a dash of new-school technical-but-melodic hard rock like Baroness or ASG, The Sword is all push and power. Warp Riders finds them by turns heavier and catchier than ever. “Night City” is 21st Century AOR like Deep Purple would’ve done it. “Tres Brujas” and “Arrows in the Dark” are warlock rock like Dio dreamed of, and “Lawless Lands” could be a classic Trouble song. The grooves here are deeper and the riffs bigger than the ones on your stoner friend’s records of any of the aforementioned bands. Warp Riders proves that The Sword is not only the best metal band in Austin, they’re one of the Top 5 metal bands on the planet.

—Roy Christopher, 12 October 2010

Stunning.

—Chris Noble, 23 July 2010

Dance music used to be considered sort of anti-rock and roll. Somewhere along the way though—perhaps in the throes of the postmodern turn—someone started explicitly mixing the two. I distinctly remember the Utah Saints picking up that torch at some point. The Chemical Brothers certainly dirtied it up with their knob-turning fingers. Well, 65daysofstatic have grabbed a hold of it like grim death. Where previous outings may have owed more to Mogwai or Tortoise, this one owes more to Aphex Twin or Autechre. Don’t get it bent though, it still rocks the block like they always have.

—Roy Christopher, 05 May 2010

I caught Band of Skulls at this year’s bedlam in Austin, SXSW, and they blew my face right off. Just the right mix of sludgy stoner metal and throwback rock and roll (à la T. Rex) makes Band of Skulls sound simultaneously familiar and unique. On Baby Darling Doll Face Honey, they embody those sounds’ many facets. That is, they can riff it up and mow you down, but also lull you into sweet psychedelic daydreams. Live and on record, Band of Skulls are a rare gem indeed.

—Roy Christopher, 27 March 2010

High on Fire took their sweet time getting this record recorded and released, and it is well worth the wait. If Lemmy sang for heyday-era Slayer, they might sound like this, though Matt Pike’s hell-fire fret-shredding, monolithic riffs, and barbed-wire growls are second to none. “Frost Hammer” sounds just enough like “Angel of Death” (that breakdown is sick in the same way) and more than enough like High on Fire to make it a worthy replacement for the former. Adding Snakes for the Divine to their already hefty body of work, High on Fire might just be the best metal band working today. (Sorry, Mastodon.)

—Roy Christopher, 27 March 2010

Terry Gilliam is a director that you have probably already decided whether or not you like. His past works have all teetered between genius and madness with varying rates of success. In The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which is incidentally Heath Ledger’s last film, Gilliam gets his Wizard of Oz / Alice in Wonderland on. It’s a dark tale of good versus evil and the triumph of imagination—and Tom Waits plays The Devil?! Does casting get any better than that?

—Roy Christopher, 23 February 2010

It seems like cover records come in three flavors: cop-out, contractual obligation-fulfiller, or rookie mistake. Well, that’s just not the case here. While I must admit to hating this record upon first listen, I can now say with honesty that it is good. Damn good. The first thing that struck me was that two of my favorite things about Peter Gabriel records—besides the lengendary genius that is Peter Gabriel, of course—were missing: the drums (Peter Gabriel records always have banging drums) and Tony Levin (King of the Low End). Scratch My Back is just Peter and an orchestra. I realize …read on

—Roy Christopher, 23 February 2010

The word “poetry” is a quick and foolproof social litmus test. Its mention will usher honesty swiftly to the lips of whomever is listening. They either adore it or abhor it. Some may secretly love it, but no one lies about liking poetry. If you find someone who shares your love of verse, you’ve found something real in this world. With that said, Nate Pritts is one of the best currently doing it and his new collection, A Wonderfull Yeare, is out on Cooper Dillon books. The book is a seasonal shepherd’s calendar made up of four poems, each season a different style but none any less sad or beautiful than the one before. “Is there a better life than this?” I think not.

—Roy Christopher, 23 February 2010

When Antipop Consortium threw down the progressive hip-hop gauntlet on 2002’s Arrhythmia they didn’t expect to have to reunite several years later to pick it up—but they did. Their recent Fluorescent Black answers every challenge presented on Arrhythmia and then some. It’s weird, it’s word, and it’s war. The lyrics are abstract but tight and the beats are quirky but banging—and the whole package will stomp a mudhole in your ass.

—Roy Christopher, 08 February 2010