I. The Beautiful Mistake - This Is Who You Are (The Militia Group)
TBM strike back with their new release, "This is Who You Are." Opening up with the title track "This is Who You Are," it makes you just want to jam. This 10 track album has incredible intensity and melodic sounds. The song "My Reminder" is very emotional and slow, but still very awesome. With TBM's awesome linear notes as well, I say go pick up the album sometime.
Check it out if you like: Death Cab For Cutie, Dashboard Confessional, Further Seems Forever, The Juliana Theory, Taking Back Sunday
Dom's Rating: 4

II. The Hurt Process - Drive By Monologue (Victory)
At first, I was waiting to see The Hurt Process become just another Victory band that wouldn't go to far and break up soon. I was wrong on that! This six piece band hails from the U.K. and knows how to throw it down. They vary from melodic and poppy to very hardcore. This band opens their cd with the song "This Piece," the song that impressed me the most and is still my favorite. The second track, "White Butterflies," is melodic sounding but the screaming vocalist reminds you how THP blends musical genres. Originally released in October of 2003 in the UK, this album was then released in the US in late March. Since then, I have been jamming to this album almost everyday. THP is not like anything I've ever heard before. THP is out on the Warped Tour this summer on select dates and on tour with Zebrahead as well.
Check it out if you like: Lostprophets, Poison the Well, Hopesfall
Dom's Rating: 5

III. A18 - Dear Furious (Victory)
Back with another bloody-looking album, A18 returns in full throttle with "Dear Furious." A18 is one of the coolest punk bands out there with some hardcore flavor. This fast paced punk-thrash band has the style of old-school punk mixed with newer stuff. Check out the track "Beating a Dead Horse." I chose this song to explore and get to know this crazy band, A18.
Check it out if you like: Darkest Hour, Misfits, The Unseen, Sick of it All, Genocide Superstars, Death by Stereo
Dom's Rating: 3

IV. Folly - Insanity Later (Triple Crown)
Picture a ska boy who wants to be hardcore. That is one of the only ways to describe Folly. This band is intense. Folly, who hails from the NJ scene, shows you how to mix different styles of music and still be hardcore. On this enhanced cd, you get a taste of them live with their video "Broken." One of my favorite songs on the album would be "Repeat, I Repeat, Repeat." This song made me want to be in a band so bad. I am really influenced by hardcore and ska, and this would be a band I would start. I played this on my radio specialty show, and a lot of people called wanting to know who it was. The song got 100% positive feedback. I would say this album has to be my favorite cd so far this year.
Check it out if you like: Every Time I Die, Catch 22, Melt Banana, Big D and the Kids Table, Antterrabae
Dom's Rating: 5

V. Misery Signals - Of Malice & The Magnum Heart (Ferret)
Yet another release off the awesome label of Ferret. Misery Signals bring the usual screamo hardcore tunes, much like a lot of bands out now. I like this CD, but it bored me after a while. MS is a really cool band to jam to and just to listen to for about 10 minutes. Any Ferret fan should go get this CD. This band has some awesome riffs and melodic sounds.
Check it out if you like: From Autumn to Ashes, Remembering Never, Ferret Records, Twelve Tribes, Atreyu
Dom's Rating: 2.5

VI. Twelve Tribes - The Rebirth of Tragedy (Ferret)
This band (whom I am listening to right now) has an awesome sound to them. It took me a while to get into them, though. While listening to the first 3 tracks, I almost got to the point where I wanted to take the CD out. The song "Venus Complex" changed my mind. I had never heard this band until I grabbed this cd and listened to it. TT has awesome thrash-metal to them. Goodness, check this whole cd out. It will kick your ass!
Check it out if you like: Killswitch Engage, Hatebreed, Remembering Never, Unearth, Every Time I Die
Dom's Rating: 4

VII. Location is Everything VOL.2 (Jade Tree)
This new comp has everyone from These Arms Are Snakes to Jets From Brazil. It opens up with These Arms Are Snakes' "Riding the Grape Dragon." If you don't know Jade Tree Records well enough and you would love to (in which you should!), this album is something you might want to pick up. This comp also has previously unreleased tracks from: From Ashes Rise (a live song), CEX, Pedro The Lion, Paint It Black, Statistics and Onelinedrawing. Any Jade Tree fan should pick this up. I liked it and I am getting into some of the bands. I am really liking the CEX song and I am really happy to see Strike Anywhere on this album as well. Go pick this cd up - it's cheap and good!
Check it out if you like: Jade Tree bands, emo, pop-punk, and indie bands
Dom's Rating: 4

VIII. Single Frame - Wetheads Come Running (Volcom)
This band hails from my home state of Texas! I am really excited to see SF on the Warped Tour this year. Single Frame is a different band expected off of Volcom. This trio consists of a keyboardist, guitar player and drummer. The cd also comes along with an enhanced feature with some trippy videos to some of their songs. If you love moog and experiential bands, you must get this insane album.
Check it out if you like: At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta, Motion City Soundtrack, Air
Dom's Rating: 4

IX. Anterrabae - Shakedown Tonight (Triple Crown)
Wooo! This band off Triple Crown came out and kicked my head in. Not knowing what to expect, I popped this in and I am glad I didn't have a huge speaker. I can just imagine my hair falling off after this. This band brings some insane sounds with hardcore, metal and emo-core all mixed in. The first track, "How Joey Got His Groove Back," is great. The cd has an enhancement with the video of "Nevertheless She Was a Mess," and the video just totally rocks. I like this cd a lot and a lot of people I know are getting into this band.
Check it out if you like: Atreyu, Folly, From Autumn To Ashes, hardcore music
Dom's Rating: 5

X. Avoid One Thing - Chopstick Bridge (Side One Dummy)
Avoid One Thing has punk style with pop-punk beats. They impressed me with this album; it's really upbeat. I am glad to hear new stuff from this band. I would love to see AOT live and jump around to their music. If you like the catchy beats of pop-punk bands and the in-your-face attitude of punk bands, go pick this out and jam out to it like I do.
Check it out if you like: Akaline Trio, Allister, Rancid, SIide One Dummy Records
Dom's Rating: 3

XI. Go Betty Go - Worst Enemy (Side One Dummy)
West Coast chicks! This is an all-women band and I am glad to hear something interesting. I like this EP. It's really interesting that GBG are touring with Ozomatli (a salsa-alternative band) too. I expected Go Betty Go to be a band that didn't try hard and just wanted attention, but I was wrong. These gals are so awesome! If you like old-school West Coast pop-punk, check them out. They bring a Hispanic style; one of the songs is an all Spanish song and it really amazed me a lot. I am waiting to see these girls on select Warped Tour dates. If they come around to you, go see them!
Check it out if you like: The Pixies, girl punk
Dom's Rating: 4

XII. Always In June - The Boredom of Bright Lights (Unsigned)
Awesome friends of mine from my sister city of Odessa,Texas. These guys, different from the majority of the other bands in our crappy area, create emo-core and hardcore tunes. Finally recording a decent demo in a studio, AIJ deserves to be signed or on tour with a major band. Visit their website at pure volume and their official site: alwaysinjune.com. Get a demo; they are cheap and amazing. Always In June may not be singed to a label, but they are a hard working band who deserves attention from East Coast to West Coast.
Check it out if you like: Thursday, Poison the Well, Every Time I Die, Folly, Senses Fail, Norma Jean
Doms Rating: 4

XIII. Color Me Dead - Death List Five (Unsigned)
From Odessa, Texas, these guys bring real old school punk with experimental tunes as well. This trio shows you ghetto style. They know how to rock it up! The vocalist is going to be a legend; he knows how to scream and sing. These guys are highly influenced by old punk, new punk, grindcore (The Locust, Melt Banana), and everything in between. They mix their influences with their own style. Visit their pure volume website and their official website: colormedead.mechanicalangel.net.
Check it out if you like: At the Drive-In, Misfits, underground punk, grindcore, experimental music.
Dom's Rating: 5

DVD REVIEW:
The Show Must Go Off! Zebrahead Live At the House of Blues (Kung-Fu)
One of my favorite bands ever! Zebrahead, from California, comes out with their new CD in October and what a better time to shoot a DVD. This is the first time to see live footage of this band, and I was so happy. If you have never heard this band, they are Rage Against the Machine's guitar and rap styles, 311 and Reel Big fish all mixed together, with a little bit of punk. Zebrahead likes to joke around as their singer/guitarist plays half a set wearing a moo moo dress from his grandmother. Check this DVD out at your local store. It also has some previews from other bands for "The Show Must Go Off" and some Kung-Fu Records films that are out.
Dom's Rating: 5