Matt Herskowitz Gabriel's Message (LH) Seasonal piano that can be enjoyed all year round! 9.5 (LD)

Various Contaminated 3.0 (Relapse/Song) Fifty-one examples of the most brutal, extreme music there is. AAARRGGHHH! 9 (JC)

Lupine Howl 125 (Vinyl Hiss/Select) A fun but twisted guitar 'n' atmosphere single by these ex-Spiritualized boys. 8/10 (LC)

Yo La Tengo Danelectro (Matador/FAB) A lovely trio of instrumentals and their remixes giving a modern kick to the usual Velvets nod. 8/10 (LC)

Freedom Metro Breaks Nxt Level (Nice + Smooth) Decent Toronto D&B mixed smoothly by Texas1 Freedom, but not really all that next-level. 7.5 (CH)

Various Blunted (Shadow/Koch) Maybe this would be more interesting if I actually had been blunted. 7 (CH)

Acid King/The Mystik Krewe of Clearlight Free (Man's Ruin) Acid King= crap, Mystik Krewe=Deep Purple. 7 (JC)

Avalon Eurasia (Sensory) Lurid German precision-metal bookended by incompatible Asian folk music. Uh, what? 3 (RB)

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