Seven years after their last full-length album, New Yorkā€™s H2O finally have a new record, and it finds them continuing to deliver the positive, melodic hardcore they began playing in 1995, minus the overtly pop inflections that weakened 2001ā€™s Go in the eyes of some.

The album kicks off strongly with 1995. This song has it all: aggressively catchy guitars, racing drums and addictive gang vocals backing up just about every second line that comes from Toby Morseā€™s mouth. The rest of the album follows suit, amping up on some tracks and mellowing just a touch on Sunday. However, despite the strength of the songs, the album missteps with the overuse of spoken soundbites between almost every track. These interludes quickly wear thin and sap the repeat listening quality of an otherwise fine album.

Maintaining the bandā€™s posi-core attitude, the uplifting lyrics generally look on the bright side ā€“ on Fairweather Friend, Morse focuses more on love for his true friends than hate for a fake, while Sunday balances the loss of Morseā€™s father with the gift of his son. Most of the lyrics are equally personal, from the straight edge affirmations of Still Here to the powerful love song Unconditional. Tough guys have feelings too, as Heart On My Sleeve makes clear, pleading for people to look past the singerā€™s tattoos before passing judgement.

After such a long absence from the studio, the record is understandably a celebration, and a whole bunch of hardcore legends join the party to provide guest vocals, including Roger Miret on Nothing To Prove, Freddy Cricien on A Thin Line, Civ on Still Here, and Kevin Seconds on Fairweather Friend. In this company, Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio could seem an unexpected choice to grace anthemic final track What Happened? (which also features Lou Koller of Sick Of It All) but it may nonetheless be the best song (itā€™s hard to choose) from a strong return.

Owen Heitmann

The second Alexisonfire spin-off band ā€“ guitarist Wade MacNeilā€™s side project Black Lungs ā€“ will likely be overshadowed by the established success of the first, Dallas Greenā€™s City And Colour, which is a shame, as this gem is more deserving of attention. MacNeilā€™s guitar and gravelly voice are complemented primarily by Sammi Bogdanskiā€™s upright piano and Ian Romanoā€™s drums, and this combination is so effective that it could be argued that the occasional sweep of strings is superfluous.

The albumā€™s not an instant winner ā€“ opener A Blessing And A Curse frankly doesnā€™t promise much, consisting mainly of a heavily echoed vocal chant, and the following Fire And Brimstone, while more fully developed, might still have seen me go either way. But with track three, When Itā€™s Blackout, the various elements of the groupā€™s sound coalesced to produce a stirring folk-rock anthem and from that point on I was sold.

Although the album takes those first couple of songs to find its footing, once it establishes its niche it doesnā€™t slip up. While leaning at times towards punk and hard rock, the folk-rock core of guitar riffs and piano melodies holds strong, completed by strong lyrics and raw, honest vocals. Hold Fast (Sink Or Swim) incorporates an expansive, affirmative chorus alongside jittery verses, These Moments Define Us is rollicking, and the contrast between the buzzing guitar and crystal-clear piano is at its peak on So It Goes, a yearning and heartfelt standout.

I donā€™t know if Black Lungs has the marketability of City And Colourā€™s sensitive heartthrob image, but on the strength of songs alone, MacNeil will be able to hold his head high when he regroups with Alexisonfire for their next album.

Owen Heitmann

Currently celebrating 15 years with the same lineup, Scandinavian punk rock mainstays Millencolinā€™s history and legacy is reflected in the lyrics on their new album ā€“ the wonderfully self-referential Brand New Game consists of multiple allusions to previous Millencolin songs (making it a kind of follow-up to Moosemanā€™s Jukebox from their last album, which name-checked a string of influential songs by other artists), and the title track commemorates the bandā€™s milestone with the chorus, ā€?the machine is turning fifteenā€¯. Itā€™s an appropriate metaphor: they are a true rock and roll machine by now, firing on all cylinders on tracks such as the buzz saw guitar-driven Whoā€™s Laughing Now.

With this seventh studio album, Millencolin continue the slow but steady evolution of their sound ā€“ their ska-tinged skate-punk roots have given way over time to a musclier, more mature approach. This maturity is reflected in the presence of two atmospheric instrumentals (Centerpiece and End Piece) which divide and conclude the album, while Done Is Done features a string section, which enhances the songā€™s melancholy mood. In fact, a similar desolation marks much of the album, including the gloomy Ducks & Drakes.

Itā€™s not all downbeat, though ā€“ first single Detox is a chirpy, bouncy number, Come On is bright and poppy, and Danger For Stranger is way more cheerful than a song with a chorus featuring the line, ā€?where there is hate there is youā€¯ should be. Meanwhile, Turnkey Paradise and Broken World are simply catchy melodic punk such as fans have come to expect.

While maybe not quite up to the standard of career highpoint Pennybridge Pioneers, Machine 15 offers plenty of reasons to hope Millencolin endures for another 15 years.

Owen Heitmann