Alternative music reviews written by Aaron Richardson. Featuring reviews and opinions on the latest releases across the alternative rock, metal, and punk spectrum, to more niche genres like emo, math-rock, post-rock, and atmospheric electronic.
Reviews largely focus on music I enjoy, but I’m always open to hearing new sounds.
Email: hello@thisisnotavirus.zip
At the tail end of January – on a Wednesday of all days – Japanese math-rock trio paranoid void dropped their third album Action, and oh boy are we in for a treat. For those unfamiliar, paranoid void is an all-female… Read More »paranoid void – Action Review
Shields are one of those bands that seem to have never quite made it out of the “local” scene and not without lack of trying. Initially coming out swinging in the early 2010s with a mix of djent-infused deathcore with… Read More »Shields – Death & Connection Review
I Promised The World, formerly known as Sinema, is making waves in the scene as they’re bringing back that classic MySpace-era post hardcore sound. Their last album, Fear of the Fall, was a gritty, raw, and stunningly unpolished album that… Read More »I Promised The World – Self Titled EP Review
We’re entering an era where bands that were killing it ten or fifteen years ago are making a comeback. One of those bands is Lower Definition, a band that had a fantastic musical run in around 2008 with their album… Read More »Lower Definition – The Purpose of the Moon Review
What can I say about Paleface Swiss that hasn’t been said before? I feel like I’m flogging a dead horse by saying that they have an uncanny resemblance to IOWA-era Slipknot, but The Wilted EP further cements that comparison with… Read More »Paleface Swiss – The Wilted EP Review
Armor for Sleep had a stranglehold on the emo scene back in the mid-00s, at least for me they had their hands firmly around my throat. What to Do When You Are Dead was an on-repeat album and still a… Read More »Armor for Sleep – There Is No Memory Review
Hot off the release of their latest album, Dreams of Being Dust, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die (TWIABP) have embarked on a multi-date tour across both the US and Europe, hitting… Read More »The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die Gig Review
If you’re an appreciator of dark, melancholic, and atmospheric guitar-driven music, then you may have already heard of SoftSun. If you’re unfamiliar, this duo, made up of guitarist Gary Acre and bassist/vocalist Pia Isaksen, is difficult to pin down to… Read More »SoftSun – Eternal Sunrise Review
Over the past few months, Liverpool-based math-rock trio Alpha Male Tea Party have been busy teasing their newest album, Reptilian Brain, which comes a painstaking five years after their last LP, Infinity Stare. The album comes at a time when… Read More »Alpha Male Tea Party – Reptilian Brain Review
Way back in the early to mid ’00s, when social media was in its infancy, one website had a stranglehold on the alternative scene. It made many proficient in HTML, and was the home to a golden era of deathcore… Read More »Death Goals – Survival Is An Act Of Defiance Review