• BEST OF 2011: Animals As Leaders – Weightless

    2009′s self-titled record from the Tosin Abasi-controlled Animals as Leaders was a favourite among some of the Hearwax staff; all fans of his previous metalcore outfit Reflux were not only happy with the record, but stunned by its balance of technical precision and songwriting prowess. With assistance from Periphery‘s Bulb aka Misha Mansoor, Tosin had birthed …

  • LIVE REVIEW: DFA1979 @ Sound Academy

    The nature of the Ahab-like quest for a personally infamous white whale is a curious thing to study.  It has evolved into a literary trope whose existence and specificity has been transformed into a cliché.  Furthermore, it’s hardly complimentary to the person that ascribes this term to themselves.  It’s also particularly concerning, for it’s ultimately …

  • REVIEW: Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto

      I understand the half-and-half policy behind Coldplay where half of the listeners strongly dislike their brand of music and the other half are die-hard fans. I fall closer to the latter category but before you can say ‘storm of controversy’, my goal is to explain why I like Mylo Xyloto, their fifth album, as …

  • REVIEW: Feist – Metals

    This week has been a nightmare… At least the past two days have. I had a tooth pulled out yesterday– a big tooth– and that is really quite painful. I would not recommend it. As such I’ve been asked to reduce my diet to mushy, bland foods and water. I’m also not allowed to spit. …