Music
SLUG Magazine’s collection of reviews covering the latest and greatest of Utah-based music, covering all varieties of genre, style and type.
Local Reviews: The Velvet Knuckles
DJ Velvet and DJ Knuckles mash together a myriad of source artist samples to bring you a 23-track glimpse into what these masterminds are playing at. They take any sound from anywhere from 50 Cent, Biggy and J5 to Zepplin, CCR and Will Farrell voice clips in Old School and cram them together in any number of combinations to make fresh groove tunes, some of which appear on this record. … read more
Local Reviews: Twilight Transmissions
I had the luck of getting to finally see a Twilight Transmissions performance and it was beyond fantastic. So when I got my hands on Two Faces of Zazen I couldn’t wait to listen. The rawness, textures and rhythm-noise from the debut self-titled release is still evident, yet the project is transformed into a more experimental but tenacious work. … read more
Local Reviews: Taught Me
This album seems violent in the same way that a rose’s edge in bloom pushing out into the world does�it’s forceful to an extent, but you really have to pay attention to understand why. … read more
Local Reviews: Stolen Marches
Ex-Endless Struggler Bobby and the boys bring eight heaping plates of punk rock snot and loveliness to the table that street punks, oi boys and rockers can all feast on together. … read more
Local Reviews: Will Sartain
Will Sartain’s solo material has trappings of Redd Tape; as RT’s main songwriter, that’s to be expected. But Will seems to strip away some of the cutesy quirkiness that Redd Tape possesses in this album and his previous one and replaces it with about the same amount of pain and offbeat discordance, but painted with much more seriousness. … read more
Local Reviews: Rotten Musicians
Here we have another sophisticated hip-hop album straight from the heart of the SLC made up of Mike Danner, Shanty, Scarecrow and Madman. “Fantasy Impromptu 89” is probably my favorite track, but the disco-ish, R&B “Rotten Musicians Go to the Movies” is also a charmer. But then again, “So What Comes After Postmodern” is really catchy and powerful too, with its strobing guitar beat and buzzy synth samples. … read more
Local Reviews: Paper Cranes
Insanity lo-fi noise guitar/synth dancebeats are piled under paroxysmal thrashpunk powerviolence/Curtis Jensen-ish screams and yelps and indecipherable mutterings, and occasionally replaced by nearly-epic keyboard dirges that deteriorate as they form to make the five songs (all named after dinosaurs�Allosaurus, Dimetrodon, etc) that comprise this EP. … read more
Local Reviews: Cave of Roses
The oddly named Cave of Roses, one of the Utah metal scene’s best-kept secrets, is finally unleashed upon us with this, Redemption, their first demo. Only a three-piece, these guys have more technicality and aggression inside them than lots of other bands combined! … read more
Local Reviews: Form of Rocket
In the three years since their last release, Form of Rocket have improved every aspect of their music. The drumming, bass, guitars, vocals, lyrics and production all make your jaw drop. Just put on the first track, “This is Occupation,” and you’ll get an immediate idea of what I’m talking about. The songs are more uniform while remaining complex; technical without becoming too cluttered. … read more