Born From Pain
Survival
Metal Blade Records
3/10
As awesome as the metal may sound coming out of your amps, unfortunately it only sounds like the same song on repeat coming out of my speakers. They represent the definition of the hardcore genre, so I give them that much.
This energetic band hails from the Netherlands, where everything seems to be free and liberal, which explains why their album is anti- government and world leadership. Survival represents the growing chaos and corruption our world is being exposed to and how our governments …

The Antlers
Hospice
4/10
Vocalist Peter Silberman spent close to two years working on this album as he analyzed his life after a big move to New York City, therein causing much anticipation to circulate around this release. Well, I guess you’ve got to respect an album that’s acquired so much time put into it, right? Hmm, maybe . . . From start to finish, the album is not bad, but you’d rightly expect more from something that had two years of work poured into it.

Trey Gunn
Music for Pictures
7D Media
10/10
Take my advice- start this CD, turn off the lights, lie down, and close your eyes. This album will put you in your own action-packed movie. Each short track is like its own scene and the entire album consists of an introduction, climax, and resolution. The title for the album, Music for Pictures, is self-explanatory; the music gives you the ability to create your own story of imagery.
Trey Gunn masters a fretless guitar, fretted and fretless touch guitars, a fretless touch bass, and keyboards to make …

Furry Love
Soft. Articulate. Does well with children. That is how most people would describe Teddy. Teddy Ruxpin, that is.
Since the animatronic teddy bear first appeared on store shelves in 1987, he has talked his way into the hearts of millions of American children, telling tales of his adventures with Grubby, Leota and the rest of the gang in the mythical world of Illiop. Josh Isaacson is one of those kids.
The twenty four year old IT professional has long since given away his Teddy to younger generations for them to …

Sweet Water
Clear the Tarmac
Golden City
7/10
Some bands hit it big on the first try. Others succeed on the second, and still others the third. Then there is Sweet Water. After cutting four albums in less than a generation, the quartet formerly known as Sweet Water is more than qualified to know a thing or two about the elusiveness of fame. Yet with their new album Clear the Tarmac and a new eclectic sound, the alternative band seems poised to claim their rightful place on the mantle of rock icons. …

Andy DeMize, drummer for The Nekromantix, and previously of The Rocketz, has passed away at the young age of 25. DeMize was involved in a car accident on the 57 Freeway in Fullerton, CA early Sunday morning.
DeMize appears to have been in the back seat of a Chevy Nova driven by a drunk driver, who had originally fled from the scene. The driver later called the authorities as he needed medical attention.
Racket loves partying as much as the next dirtbag zine, but please be careful and make sure …

Well, I got to sit on the tour bus with Jess Margera (yes, Bam’s brother, no, I didn’t care, but I’m sure there are those that do.) and got to talk swords and booze. Pretty much everything good in the world.
The Emperor!: I didn’t come here with any questions, I didn’t read a bio, I don’t know much. I heard some of your songs. They’re really good. That’s really it. So I think the first question I want to ask, what really pisses you off?
CKY’s Jess: What really pisses me …

Cracker, New York Dolls, and X
December 20, 2008
Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA
I feel as if I missed out on something big here. I grew up on Billy Idol, Queen, and Top 40 radio stations- basically what my parents’ liked. I didn’t start listening to any music that the radio didn’t feed me first until about three years ago when friends of mine started trying to educate me in the ways of the music biz. I still would never even dare to call myself any kind of musical expert, or …

SSS stands for ShortSharpShock…unless you find out the true meaning contained within this interview. SSS is the exact kind of music I normally don’t like: people yelling at me. I didn’t do it, so stop it, stop yelling. Dude’s are gunna pop a vein in their brain, I swear to God. Here’s Mark, bass player extraordinaire telling us what’s what.
The Emperor!: What are some of your stereotypes of the American people?
Mike: American stereotypes – Fat, loudmouthed, obnoxious, no passport, drive 4 litre [Emperor’s note: Ha! Get it, he’s British!] …

Addictions come in all shapes and flavors. Some are packaged in needles, others in paper bags. But one Southern woman’s secret vice happens to be a mutant green soda can with bold, red lettering in the foreground.
Ask 23 year-old Aimee- she withheld her last name for this story- and she would confess her love of Surge. In fact, she swears by it so much so that she has been known to pose in photos with the soda that kicks like an energy drink.
“I’m addicted” she says. “I need my fix.”
But …

Look Mexico
Gasp Asp
Lujo/Tiny Engines Records
6/10
Look Mexico hasn’t exactly stayed with one consistent sound throughout their previous releases, with indie influences running the gamut, but Gasp Asp hints at consistency. They’ve had a line-up change in the bass and keyboard department, and this has obviously affected their sound. The four-song EP stays within the same musical realm throughout the album and possibly means a solid sound from Look Mexico from now on. Thing is that consistent sound is rather boring and fit for MTV’s Campus Invasion tour – but hey, maybe …

Far*Out is the reason for California’s over-population. It gives people across the nation that if they have enough talent, drive and/or ambition (or if daddy’s a washed up country music star exploiting his little girl) you can come to California and play venues like The Roxy or the Key Club and everyone will think you’re oh so talented. Fuckers. I know you’re from West Covina, but stop giving people hope, I don’t need hoes from ten different states all trying to “make it” and in the process take up all …

First off, I’d like to apologize to Luke for it taking forever to post it. And to Beth, the publicist. I suck. I’m done apologizing and have no moved on to drinking Boddington’s Pub Ale and suggest you do the same. – The Emperor.
Riotfest
October 10-12th 2008
Chicago, IL
Sexy, Sexy Riotfest
Ah, Riotfest, how much I’ve missed you since last year. I’ve longed for months and months while you teased me, slowly revealing portions of your succulent lineup, but now you’ve returned to me, exposing your full lineup in all its glory, with …

TRIPTAKA
SECOND WAR
Self-released
5/10

Is this Nine Inch Nails? No? Oh, well, they obviously wish they were. Nine Inch Nails is good though, and this is an astonishingly accurate knock-off. So accurate, in fact, that it’s downright listenable. If you need some pseudo-NIN to tide you over until the next actual NIN release, this is perfect!
-Luke Toney

Midnight to Twelve
XII
JKH Entertainment
5/10
A great poet once described the disturbed mind of an artist friend as “The melancholy madness of poetry without inspiration.” For every rock group that is hailed as the next great thing there is an equivalent to the disturbed poet driven mad by soulless poetry. Sadly, Midnight to Twelve is one of them. Despite the power chords of bassist Al Baca and throaty vocals of lead singer Jon Hartmann, the album is less of a statement of the band’s individuality than a derivative parroting …

SOCIAL CODE
HE SAID SHE SAID EP
Fifth Season Music
7/10
These twerps are from Edmonton, Canada. They play teeny bopper punk rock like whatever else you kids listen to these days. One of the guys actually has some kind of Flock of Seagulls haircut. It’s amazing.
I hate everything about this music, but goddamn the title track is catchy. If they continue to come up with hooks like that they’ll probably be all over fifteen year old girls’ notebooks and making millions in a short while. “Perfect Grave” …