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
Comeback Kid have been a mainstay in my library since their 2003 debut, Turn It Around. This mix of fast, melodic, and heavy hardcore punk was right up my alley. It was aggressive but avoided being too much in the… Read More »Comeback Kid – Chosen Hell Review
All Hours, the breakout pop-punk band from Brisbane, Australia, with an already impressive list of accolades from the likes of Alternative Press and Guitar World, are here with their debut album Everything In Between. Pulling inspiration from pop-punk heavy hitters… Read More »All Hours – Everything in Between Review
Spanish Love Songs have always managed to effortlessly bridge the gap between spunky indie rock and melancholic Midwest emo; it’s intrinsically who they are as a band. With catchy hooks, twangy guitar riffs, and creative lyricism, this band have had… Read More »Spanish Love Songs – Future Nausea Review
Back in 2003, a little website called MySpace launched. This website was a social media site ahead of what we now know to be social media today, and during its lifecycle, the platform became a huge part of the alternative… Read More »Buried in Spring – Buried in Spring (EP) Review
What the fuck am I listening to? That was my first thought when I threw on Polyphia‘s new album, Be Not Afraid, whose opening track, Let There Be Light, progresses from the familiar guitar virtuoso, proggy guitar licks into a… Read More »Polyphia – Be Not Afraid Review
Transatlantic mathcore band Frontierer have always been a bit of an acquired taste for me. Sometimes the band’s blend of frantic noise is exactly what I need; other times it can be a little too overwhelming to be enjoyable. That… Read More »Frontierer – Ultraviolet Parasite Review
Japan is certainly a fair distance from America’s Midwest, but that hasn’t stopped us from putting ANORAK! in that box. Formed in 2019, this Japanese Midwest Emo band have released two albums and is now onto their third with FINGERS… Read More »ANORAK! – Fingers Crossed Review
If you’re a post-rock fan, then you’re probably sitting on such a high right now. This year we’ve been given the gift of so many incredible releases from bands including If These Trees Could Talk, MONO, and Lost in Kyiv… Read More »Caspian – Caspian Review
Recently, I’ve noticed that many bands have started reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, realising that the music they made during a solemn time for all of us was, as you might expect, a bit depressing. The pandemic had many musicians… Read More »Pærish – Rita Review
It’s the year 2005, and I’m loading up iTunes to sync new music to my iPod. In amongst the library of Nu Metal, Post-Hardcore, and Metal is an album from a band that seamlessly melds together elements of mathcore, prog,… Read More »The Number Twelve Looks Like You – Howls From the Holographic Heart Review
