Wow!  Ex-SpineShank vocalist Jonny Santos has re-emerged with a powerfully heavy unit known as Silent Civilian.  Don’t expect to hear this on TRL people, cuz you won’t.  Rebirth Of The Temple is too heavy for kids weaned on candy coated pop punk.  Driven by brutal intensity, Silent Civilian’s Rebirth Of The Temple will take you on a gripping, exhilarating ride.  Experimental twists and turns around every avenue of creative heaviness seem to be second nature with this crafty group and the end result is anything but dull.  The members of Silent Civilian prove themselves as seasoned players by bringing to the table the best elements of thrash, speed, and punk. Tim Mankowski lays down some pretty mean metal/punk riffs and really shines in “Bitter Pill”.  Chris Mora displays his diverse capabilities and well timed double bass hits on “Dead to Me 2006,” and bassist Henno lays down an undeniably sold groove on “Force Fed”.  Santos, who also plays guitar, adds plenty of fierce rhythms to each blistering tune.  His pent up rage comes pouring out on “Divided,” and his talent as a vocalist is quite evident in “Funeral”.    Not to be outdone, the title track is a passionate fist pumping anthem that decapitates with slicing guitars.  The energy behind this band is aggressive, and their face-ripping style is impressive.  I can’t wait to see what the future holds, as the band has more time to grow and develop as a unit.  Rebirth of the Temple is a powerful musical statement that mixes the thrashing riffs of old skool with the writing style of nu-skool.  If you want to be rocked so hard your teeth shatter SC is for you.  -NIN

The Strays are one of those bands that you are considered cool for being the first to discover.  On Le Futur Noir upbeat tunes mesh a bit of old skool with just the right amount of nü skool.  Their sound is a fusion of L.A. & UK punk.  It’s a gritty brand of rock fused glam punk with a little bit of ska and reggae added in for fun.  The band’s unique ability to juxtapose styles comes out in “Block Alarm”.  Then of course there is the Jonny Rotten snarl of “You Are The Evolution.”  Funk meets the Clash in “Let Down Girls”.  “Miracles” is another great that borrows tastefully from the best.  Not be out done is the addictive “Peach Acid” and the reggae tinged “Future Primitives.”  What’s great about this album is the fact that the band injects the right amount of pop sensibility to make the songs infectious without selling out.  Maybe it is because vocalist Toby Marriot’s dad was Steve Marriott who fronted Humble Pie & The Small Faces, so I guess penning a good tune is in his blood.    -NIN

Thursday – A City By The Light Divided (Island)  

Here’s a funny revelation…I like Thursday – always have.  What’s funny about it is that I typically don’t like screamo.  So, does the fact that I like Thursday make them great?  No, but what makes them great is reflected in A City By The Light Divided – an album that almost didn’t happen.  It’s been three years since Thursday’s last release and during that period they briefly broke up.  Thankfully they were able to work things out and upon re-grouping the band discovered a new found musical maturity.  The addition of keyboardist Andrew Everding also adds a new dimension to their sound.  On A City By The Light Divided Thursday further themselves from their screamo roots by incorporating more textural flourishes and skilled vocal arrangements into the mix.  The band has the ability to mix words notes and rhythms in ways others can only dream off.  The result is an enthralling album that is graceful and complete.  Thursday come on strong with the “The Other Side of the Crash/Over and Out (of Control)”.  Rickley’s voice beautifully resonates in “Running from the Rain” (a song that is reminiscent of The Cure).  The little intricacies of “Telegraph Avenue Kiss” really make this song shine.  Bittersweet melodies clash with Ricky’s anguished vocals in “The Lovesong Writer” - a dynamic song that intermingles hope and despair.  The intro to “Into the Blinding Light” adds to craziness of the song, as instruments and vocals collide in a mad frenzy before ending in sudden silence.  To be honest, the atmospheric texturing on this disc needs to be experienced to be appreciated.  It’s what makes A City By The Light Divided a stellar album from begging to end.  Be sure to catch Thursday on ‘Shirts for a Cure Tour’ (proceeds from t-shirt sales go to benefit breast cancer).  The band is also headlining this year’s Vans Warped Tour.  -NIN

Tre Lux – A Strange Gathering (Cleopatra)

Switchblade Symphony vocalist Tina Root’s finally released her long awaited solo project dubbed Tre Lux.  The kicker is that it’s an entire album of covers, which is hardly something worth waiting that long for.  But Tina claims she wanted to pay tribute to her eclectic musical taste.  In that case, write an album’s worth of material inspired by these artists.  If I want to hear covers I’ll go to karaoke.  For the most part, the musical interpretations aren’t bad, but Tina’s baby vocals put a damper on them especially on Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again.”  Coldplay’s “Yellow” wasn’t bad, but we could have done without another take on Information Society’s “What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy)”.  That song has been covered to death.  I guess I should be grateful she didn’t cover Gary Newman’s “Cars”.  (There is a god)  “Black Hole Sun” was fine since it wasn’t great to begin with.  However, I really wished she would have left Ministry’s “Halloween” alone.  You don’t fuck with that song people!  It was perfect the first time.    If you’re a huge fan of Tina’s then you’ll probably love it.  If you’re a big fan of one of the artists covered you’ll probably wished you never picked it up.  -NIN

Return to Cookie Mountain is not your typical rock album, which is what makes it so enjoyable.  Brooklyn based TV On The Radio is not afraid to venture into uncharted territory nor are they afraid to mesh styles, instruments, and techniques.  Return to Cookie Mountain is a collection of shape-shifting tunes in which abstract and electronic textures roll over acoustic musings.  The band also combines beat poetry, gospel, doo-wop, sparse electronic beats, sampling, multi tracking, and synchronized beats to construct their elaborate creations.  All these elements mixed together are what give this album its sonic appeal.  Just take the intriguing “Let the Devil In” for example or the beat box vocals in “Dirtywhirl”.  Another great is the heavily distorted “Wash the Day” and the percussion fueled “A Method”.  David Bowie and Trent Reznor are already big fans and maybe you should be too.  This one is too good to pass up.  -NIN

When I opened the package and saw Butch’s name I knew it was going to be good.  Aside for his work with Marvelous 3, Walker has gained a rep for penning hits for the likes of Pink, Lindsay Lohan, and Avril Lavigne (Sorry to burst your bubbles kiddies Avril does not write her own material like she professes).  Armed with a new backing band—The Let’s-Go-Out-Tonites—Walker’s third release, The Rise And Fall Of Butch Walker And The Let’s-Go-Out-Tonites, is an upbeat collection of high-energy pop anthems.  With its 60’s sunshine vibe of happiness & tambourines the energetic “Oooh…Aah” lays the groundwork for what is to follow.  Hand claps add to the irresistible nature of “Bethamphetamine (Pretty Pretty)”.  Walker channels Dylan on “Rich People Die Unhappy” and T-Rex on “Hot Girls in Good Moods”.  The soaring “We’re All Going Down” is followed by the tear jerking piano ballad “Dominoes”.  The punk tinged “Paid to get Excited” picks the pace back up.  “Song without a Chorus” may not have a chorus but there are plenty of hooks in the verse to fill the void.  The contagious “When Canyons Ruled the World” brings this rockin’ album to a close.  Great music aside, Rise and Fall is a diverse piece of work that further solidifies Walker’s talents as a songwriter.  -NIN

Wednesday 13 is back with a disc full of campy horror core just in time for Halloween.   The material on Fang Bang harkens back to the days of Wednesday’s earlier band Frankenstein Drag Queen.  On this latest release, Wednesday 13 combines his ghoulishly campy lyrics with catchy glam punk n’ roll to create songs like “Morgue than Words,” “Happily Ever Cadaver,” and “Buried with Children.”  It’s cheesy but enjoyable.  How he can get through a song without laughing is beyond me.  Oh well, somebody needs to do it.   -NIN

When I first saw this CD, I was scared.  They can’t be serious with the title?  And the artwork of a dog dressed in female drag?  So, wearily, I popped it in.  And at first, I was excited to hear electronica/alternative coming out of my speakers!  The first half of this CD is excellent.  And then…and then it goes downhill.  The songs lose their cohesiveness, and get too maudlin IMHO.  This CD was completely composed and performed by Lynne Messinger, formerly of Unknown Gender.  It’s a good attempt – I look forward to the next one!  -J

Wolfmother (Modular/Interscope)  

This Aussie power-trio channel classic rock ala Led Zeppelin & Black Sabbath and add a little bit of White Stripes soul for flavor.  Wolfmother’s self-titled effort resonates with great analog warmth and the artwork—courtesy of Frank Frazetta—is beautiful and very fitting to the band’s free spirited style.  The group’s down & dirty psych blues sound features plenty of 70’s inspired jam solos, gallant riffs, delicate melodies, and high pitched melodic vocal lines.  To say the least, these boys wear their influences on their sleeves, but do it in such a manner that it is more of a tribute than a rip-off.  Wolfmother is original in a quirky way.  Their debut release is filled with larger than life rock tunes.  For starters, there is the dirty blues rock boogie of “Apple Tree,” which sounds like something The White Strips should have created.  “Joker & The Thief” was no doubt inspired by Black Sabbath.  “Dimension” is an acid-laced anthem that also conjures up the Sabbath soul.  The funky style of “Love Train” and the psychedelic overtones of “White Unicorn” demonstrate the band’s adoration for the 70’s.  At times the lyrics border on the absurd (”Tales from the Forest of Gnomes” for example).  Perhaps they spent too much time watching Lord of The Rings and playing D&D.  I don’t expect everyone to get it, but you just may be the cool kid that says, “I liked them when”.  -NIN

Various Artists - Return To The Dark Side Of The Moon (Purple Pyramid)  

Tribute producer extraordinaire Billy Sherwood has now decided to tackle that holy grail of albums.  The one that recently broke through some 1500 weeks on the Billboard album charts.  The one that is supposedly synced to the Wizard of Oz…’Dark Side Of The Moon’.  The cast of sound-a-likes is impressive: Malcolm McDowell, Adrian Belew, Colin Moulding, Robby Krieger, most of Yes, and a ton of great session legends.  The results are so note-for-note dead on that it makes you wonder why they bothered.  There is no real unique take other than to say, "Wow, those vocals are a bit different".  The real abomination, however, is the decision for Billy to add his own "Exclusive Bonus Original Track" at the end.  What's the purpose of that?  It doesn't sound out of place, thankfully, but in this world of tributes that just doesn't belong.  -Repojay

Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – Show Your Bones (Interscope)

I guess I’m now an art-school geek because I really like the new Yeah Yeah Yeah’s CD Show Your Bones.  OK, so the riffs are somewhat repetitious.  They still rock.  Karen O’s vocals are getting much less monotonous (you can see I didn’t think much of the band before…)  YYY’s are almost turning into White Strips meets Garbage.  I would love to see their sound evolve like that.  Lead off track “Gold Lion” is definitely a staple on the iPod now.  My biggest sadness about this disc is that there were no lyrics in the CD notes.  Next time?  -J

Funny thing – I don’t remember Zebrahead sounding like Simple Plan.  In the band’s defense I have to point out that they are a bit heavier.  Sporting a new singer and a hearty pop-punk sound Broadcast To The World is upbeat and melodic with the occasional heavy guitar thrown in.  Gone are the days of the rap/ska/reggae infusion.  Albeit, a touch of ska can be heard on “Enemy” and “Back To Normal”.  While not bad, Broadcast To The World sounds like every other generic pop punk album.   -NIN