JEFFREY MORGAN'S MEDIA BLACKOUT #460.68!

Hawthorne Heights - If Only You Were Lonely (Victory) :: If only I were deaf.

Measles Mumps Rubella - Fantastic Success (Doubling Cube) :: What do you get when you cross Pere Ubu with Talking Heads? An infectious new strain on your ears!

Waterdown - All Riot (Victory) :: There's a message inside that says to stay home and read a book. I tried that, but the buffeting F5 metasonic sound waves coming out of the speakers while I played this primo Van Halen meets screamo album kept shredding the pages so I watched some senior citizen porn instead.

From Fiction - Bloodwork (Last Gang) :: Hi, my name is Steve Albini and I'm your producer. Today's special is a theatrical singer garnished by a band with a primitive progressive garage sound. Can I get you something to drink first?

The Autumn Offering - Revelations Of The Unsung (Victory) :: Unsung is right 'cause these growling guttural vocals almost get pummeled under the weight of the brutal bludgeoning beats that TAO--geddit?--promulgates. And if you don't know what that last word means, then this album is definitely for you.

Greatdayforup - Flores De Sangre (Small Stone) :: Heavy double time tunes that'll remind you of Ted Nugent at his most manically possessed, with a side order of Kyuss and Cult.

SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK: Action Action - An Army Of Shapes Between Wars (Victory) :: Smart and stylish, this is Dépêche Duran power pop art rock at its soaring synthesized best. Each and every track will have you fondly reliving glam's last lush gasp from the glory days of the '80s. And since I utterly loathed the '80s you can trust me not to steer you wrong on this one.

Be seeing you!