Noise Rock

Agenbite Misery – Remorse of Conscience Review

By Andy-War-Hall on February 5, 2026 in Reviews, Black Metal, Noise Rock, Post-Metal, Sludge Metal, 65 comments

“Anyone who’s brushed against James Joyce’s modernist classic Ulysses has almost certainly encountered the phrase “remorse of conscience” before. A pivotal theme of the novel, remorse of conscience refers to more than mere guilt over a perceived ethical failure but the misery inflicted by it, its weight and torment. In the days leading up to receiving Remorse of Conscience, the independent debut from New Hampshire’s genre-blending Agenbite Misery, a record informed by Ulysses and “steeped in grief, alienation and the search for meaning in modern life,” I was experiencing that eponymous turmoil myself.” Modern Hellenic disorientation.

Under – What Happened In Roundwood Review

By Samguineous Maximus on January 29, 2026 in Reviews, Experimental Metal, Noise Rock, Sludge Metal, 20 comments

“There’s something tantalizing about the brand of metal-adjacent noise rock that’s experienced a renaissance in recent years. It’s ugly, it’s loud, and it doesn’t give a damn if you’re comfortable. You’ve got breakout stars Chat Pile dragging nü-metal’s bloated corpse through the mud, Couch Slut dishing out dissonant, riff-heavy nightmare fuel, and Intercourse sounding like a feral animal tearing flesh for fun. This isn’t “revival” music; it’s bands weaponizing noise, smashing metal’s brute force into punk’s emotional hemorrhaging, and then deliberately breaking whatever’s left just to see it scream. Enter the UK’s Under, stepping into this mess with zero interest in playing nice.” Under the thunder.

The Austerity Program – Bible Songs 2 [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Samguineous Maximus on January 1, 2026 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Mathcore, Noise Rock, 12 comments

“Speak to enough musicians in the underground who favor the sonically depraved, and you might hear word of two New Yorkers, who emerge now and then from the doldrums of normal life to unleash their unique brand of sonic chaos upon the unsuspecting masses. I’m talking, of course, about The Austerity Program, the criminally underrated duo of Justin Foley and Thad Calabrese who have delivered some of the greatest noise rock records of the 2000s.” Bibles, poverty, and noise.

Geese – Getting Killed [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Dear Hollow on December 4, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Blues, Noise Rock, post-punk, Rock, 93 comments

“When a non-metal album is this good, the Great Ape mandates that we write about it – it’s unclear if it’s for posterity or humiliation. But when you have a band called Geese, the latter seems more likely. New York City fowl collective owe just as much of their attack to Bruce Springsteen and Television as to Swans and The Velvet Underground, as its drawling and honkin’ blend of roots rock, noise rock, blues, country, funk, and post-punk is a clusterfuck that feels distinctly like something a band called Geese would make.” Genre-hoping and goose poop dropping.

Blessings – Blodsträngen Review

By Owlswald on August 4, 2025 in Reviews, Experimental Metal, Noise, Noise Rock, post-punk, 8 comments

“Originating from the same vibrant scene that has spawned acts ranging from At the Gates to Ace of Base, Gothenburg experimental noise quartet Blessings have been forging their own path within the borders of Sweden’s olde harbor city for thirteen years. Comprised of long-standing veterans of the Swedish scene, Blessings have been worshipping at the altar of turmoil since its 2012 debut, Bittervaten came out waving a Black Flag of loud, Unsanely harsh, in-your-face noise rock.” Blessed are the slick.

Row of Ashes – Tide into Ruin Review

By Owlswald on June 19, 2025 in Reviews, Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore, Sludge, 12 comments

“Bristol post-hardcore group, Row of Ashes, likes to make noise—and they’re good at it. Known for their untamed live energy and drawing heavily from revered acts like Unsane, Will Haven, and Kowloon Walled City, Row of Ashes crafts an unyielding and suffocating wall of sound; one that fuses post-hardcore and sludge together with the experimental, dissonant fringes of noise rock. After releasing two EPs, their raw, physical force exploded onto the scene with 2022’s Bleaching Heat, a ruthless debut that earned them a tour with Will Haven. Now standing on the brink of broader recognition, Row of Ashes is ready to unleash Tide into Ruin, their second post-hardcore punch designed to be as overpowering and instinctual as their live performances.” What walks behind the rows?

Bacon Wagon – Trauma Cake Review

By Tyme on June 11, 2025 in Reviews, Noise Rock, 24 comments

“Noise rock n00bs Bacon Wagon are a trio of Swedish scoundrels not as “n00” to the scene as you might think. From the ashes of disbanded noise act Acid Ape, siblings Marcus and Kristoffer Kinberg arose like Porky the Phoenix and formed Bacon Wagon in 2003. After numerous guitarist auditions, some instrument swapping, and finally finding its third with drummer Peter Johansson in 2006, Bacon Wagon released a couple of splits and an EP before going dark in 2008. While not entirely unproductive in the interim, the trio reunited in 2023 and wrote a slew of new songs that serve as the basis for Bacon Wagon’s Reptile Records debut album, Trauma Cake.” Have your bacon cake, and suffer trauma too.

Swans – Birthing Review

By Dear Hollow on May 27, 2025 in Reviews, Ambient, Noise, Noise Rock, post-punk, Sludge Metal, 40 comments

“It’s hard to keep up with Swans. Since 1982, Michael Gira and company have cranked out sixteen studio albums, eight EPs, and ten live albums (not to mention all the compilations and side projects), influencing underground stalwarts like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Neurosis, Godflesh, and Napalm Death, as well as more mainstream acts like Nirvana and Tool. No genre was safe, as noise rock, no-wave, industrial, sludge, post-punk, and post-rock were impacted in the process – yet Swans have always had their own inimitable and uncategorizable sound.” Still on the pond.

Tonguecutter – Minnow Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on May 21, 2025 in Reviews, Hardcore, Noise Rock, Punk, Sludge Metal, 28 comments

“Are the ’90s played out yet? If you ask the metal world, or rather, the metal-leaning world of -cored and rocky sounds, we’re just getting started in the retro movement of three-decades past explorations. From the dreamy prog-leaning radioscapes of Lizzard to The Jesus Lizard-drenched grinding lurch of Full of Hell to the nostalgic Deftones-alt-castings of Bleed, the ’90s finds itself emblazoned in cut-n-scanned posters across guitar-led machinations in our current age. In a guise more Hole-y and riot grrrl, Michigan’s Tonguecutter wears close that AmRep, early Melvins, Unsane-y aesthetic with their quick-n-dirty debut Minnow.” Tongue chum.

Meatwound – Macho Review

By Tyme on May 6, 2025 in Reviews, Hardcore, Noise Rock, 34 comments

“I was shocked when my helmet light sputtered out while spelunking some of the sump pit’s darker, less-traveled caverns recently. As I waited for my eyes to adjust to the gloom, I noticed something bright and pink glimmering in a recess of mossy rock. That ‘something’ was Macho, the fourth album from Tampa, Florida’s hardcore sludge noise-mongers Meatwound, and I used its luminescent shimmer to help guide me back to headquarters. Outside of the great band name and cover art giving me strong Warhol meets Boris vibes.” El Macho Borracho.