Cliff has never needed to reaffirm his place in the reggae pantheon. With Rebirth, he went ahead and did it anyway--and then some.

Call it two EPs of material from two gifted frontmen combined into one LP--nothing more, nothing less.

"Gonna Be Free" is a solid tune, but not strong enough to save Circle from mediocrity. [Aug 2012, p.88]

Infinity Overhead's smorgasbord of sounds should please every level of Minus The Bear fan.

Almost half of the album is bolstered by huge beats and pulsating bass. Even so, the disc's bet tracks are the ones that don't employ this formula. [Sep 2012, p.92]

America is an even blend of the oddball Deacon you know and the more refined, mature artist he's growing into. [Sep 2012, p.88]

Pleasant as the diversity is, the finished products are what you'd get from any modern tribute album. [Sep 2012, p.94]

It's a relief to hear even weirder experiments emerge on Fragrant World--especially the second half. [Sep 2012, p.94]

Researching the Blues is more like a graduate dissertation on power pop, and should be required listening. [Sep 2012, p.94

The Wolf You Feed is an admirable addition to the Gamblers' discography.

The Ghost Inside are one of hardcore's brightest lights, and Get What You Give is a perfect example of heavy music with a high IQ.

They hold their own with the noisy, angular and often bluesy rock found on Harmonic. [Jun 2012, p.82]

AFI bassist Hunter Burgan and My Chemical Romance touring drummer Jarrod Alexander lend their talent making for a textured record that combines Skiba's trademark dark-tiged punk sensibilities with an electronic edge inspired by '80s new wave. [Jun 2012, p.83]

Being lacks enough urgency to sustain nearly 38 full-throttle minutes and becomes an analogy for the unvarying capitalization on its record sleeve.

Despite some missteps, Icky Blossoms would fit on a playlist between Archie Bronson Outfit and Bloc Party. [Aug 2012, p.90]

The songs themselves are sturdy and powerful, with the right mix of ebb and flow, and ample chug-chug parts for the pit monkeys.

Ten Stories should easily please any mewithoutYou fan, but this is by no means pandering....11 musically and lyrically engaging stories. [Jun 2012]

It's a snarling, agile beast with some posi moments along the way. [Aug 2012, p.90]

Carter and Ansell aren't reinventing the wheel, but they've got a way nicer ride than most of the pretenders currently being exalted by friendless bloggers. [Aug 2012, p.84]

Gossamer is still full of incredibly catchy choruses, dozens of layers of funky instrumental tracks, spazzy electronic flourishes and of course Michael Angelakos' sky-scraping falsetto. [Aug 2012, p.88]

While Everything You Ever Loved feels a shade top-heavy, there's little denying how much Make Do And Men have improved their craft over the years. [Jul 2012, p.96]

Most songs keep to a more humble pace, unfurling slowly and often with surprising beauty. [Aug 2012, p.86]

Hypnotic Nights has the feeling of an album created by Venn diagram, with the outer edges of glam, psychedelia, garage rock and hard rock connecting to create "the ultimate rock album…you know, for kids!"

Thanks to the expert production of Brendan O'Brien, the record sounds goddamn phenomenal. [Aug 2012, p.83]

Harakiri easily contains the best music released under the vocalist's name. [Aug 2012, p.92]

This music has aged well, and nearly transcends nostalgia.

Back with album No. 2, Beak> feel more purposeful somehow.

An adventurous, forward-thinking collection.

Lacing together 15 tracks this tight is nothing short of a rap lifetime accomplishment. [Aug 2012, p.84]

Unsound falters on ragged tune such as "Sectionals In Mourning" and "Semi-Pseudo-Sort-Of-Plan;" these songs feel far too much like half-finished rehearsal takes that could use some tightening. [Aug 2012, p.92]

The arrangements are busier, but Morgan's the key to holding it together. [Aug 2012, p.90]

These are some of the most challenging songs in the band's catalog, yet they're more approachable than ever before. [Aug 2012, p.88]

Heady Fwends has racked up about one song's worth of decent material-only none of it is in the same song.

In the case of the Used's fifth proper LP, the exact opposite could be said--we hear too many singles. Or would-be singles, that is. [Apr 2012, p.89]

Like all the most memorable famous monsters, this beast has a soul. [Jul 2012, p.94]

The majority of the album sounds like generic radio rock. [Jul 2012, p.98]

Daybreaker is their best yet. [Jul 2012, p.90]

Its peaks make Whitechapel the band's best album yet by a wide margin. [Jul 2012, p.98]

If Go is any indication of their future, MCS will have plenty to say, five albums from now. [Jul 2012, p.100]

Jaill's pacing and musical phrasing feels noticeably lethargic. [Jul 2012, p.94]

Red Light is a sturdier, more rocking affair (relatively speaking) [than their debut]. [Jul 2012, p.94]

Matsson's third LP is a wide-eyed exercise in water testing, adding counterpoint and pathos to his road-worn sneer and elegiac melodies. [Jul 2012, p.100]

It's not as abrasive or confrontational as previous efforts, but Worship nevertheless shimmers with a defiantly bleak edge. [Jul 2012, p.90]

It boasts some of Avary's most concise songwriting to date and a self-confident, unfettered vibe that's invigorating. [Jul 2012, p.89]

It's certainly a progression for Metric, but it's an evolution whose emotional honesty--and sonic depth--are rewarding and affecting. [Jul 2012, p.94]

His fifth solo album calls on both his folk and roots-rock experiences, in a bold yet familiar transition for the seasoned performer. [Jul 2012, p.98]

Come for the rock, but stay for Falkous' sarcasm-dripping bon mots. [Jun 2012, p.881]

The band's fifth studio album mostly keeps the BPMs brisk and retro-minded programming colorful. [Jul 2012, p.94]

The overall effect is of a 21-century Mighty Lemon Drops, but there's certainly something to be said for a Heaven comprised of such modest glories. [Jul 2012, p.100]

What stands out is how Crocodiles have lightened up, embracing everything from grrrl-group alt pop to deliciously spacey new wave. [Jul 2012, p.90]

The disparate pieces of Melvins Lite don't quite line up. [Jul 2012, p.98]

Generals replaces Fire's starched chamber-pop pretentions with airy vibrancy and eclecticism that continually surprises and entices. [Jul 2012, p.100]

Lex Hives redeems them for their previous missteps and their truancy. No skits, no instrumental in-jokes: just rock. [Jul 2012, p.90]

"Continuous Thunder" is a sensitive parting shot, and cements Celebration Rock's emotional depth. [Jul 2012, p.98]

The Australian five-piece dismiss any notion of a sophomore slump. [Jul 2012, p.100]

On any other Walkmen album, just the hooky brilliance of the title track could be enough to declare this set a success, but there's never been one quite like this before.

Each track is different from the last, yet the album maintains a cohesive identity. [Jun 2012, p.76]

Three MVPs plus one vision equals one of the year's best. [Jun 2012, p.84]

The results are extraordinary. [May 2012, p.79]

Despite the obvious problems with continuity and flow (not to mention the general concept of time, as in the amount of actual time it takes to comb through 99 tracks), there's still a lot of good music on Occupy This Album.

The biggest failure of This Is PiL, sadly, is the band's centerpiece: Lydon. As fine as he can be (see again "Deeper Water"), he sounds downright unhinged. Not in the puckish, sinister way that made PiL live albums so bracing, either-no, his work here sounds tossed off, and too often just plain off.

While not a major departure, Valtari adds a fresh, ghostly layer to Sigur Rós' slow-motion sprawl.

Fire From The Sky is another compelling addition to their catalog. [Jun 2012, p.84]

overflowing with slick hooks and dynamic nuances, Twelve Years masterfully balances cathartic restraint and melodic aggression. [Jun 2012, p.80]

...ya know? manages to maintain a cohesive sound despite its disjointed source material.

Even if it's probably not a classic, it's still pretty damn solid. [Jun 2012, p.81]

On Sunshine and a handful of others, she's M.I.A. protege in Kala mode; elsewhere, she's been "optimized" for a climate more partial to Nicki Minaj. [Jun 2012, p.84]

The humor practiced by Black and cohort Kyle Gass hasn't evolved much since [2008's "Pick Of Destiny"]; Fenix is loaded with classic-rock-aping material which simultaneously admires and lampoons everything from Star Wars ("Deth Starr") to organized religion ("Throwdown").

Exister serves as a reminder that the thousands of bands aping this style of punk will never be as great as Hot Water Music.

Unpatterns is actually more engaging and accessible than Simian Mobile Disco's past work, perhaps because no gimmicks or distractions cloud the band's analog alchemy. [Jun 2012, p.84]

Feast delivers the meal Waste fans expect. [May 2012, p.81]

Fan waiting for the true follow-up to 2001's Go Plastic may now warm their souls by the heat of his hard drive. [Jun 2012, p.84]

The record tends to fade into the background and become something so indistinct that it's forgettable, even after multiple listens.

Garbage were always futuristic, but this album proves they're still ahead of the curve. {Jun 2012, p.81]

The record is sophisticated. [Jun 2012, p.78]

Off! is ferocious and unforgiving. [Jun 2012, p.76]

Sonically, Knopf has never sounded more confident. [Jun 2012, p.82]

The more monotonous parts of the album fade into the background--but their use of dynamics and technical prowess makes Natural Experiments a success. [Feb 2012, p.80]

They're not doing anything they haven't done before, but the triumphant unpretentious anthems on The Power Within area as fun as metal gets. [May 2012, p.75]

While the positive vibe is admirable, there's just not much substantial to grab on to--and few songs linger after the album's over.

Bull drags on with minimal memorable hooks and far too much guitar feedback. [Jun 2012, p.76]

While some songs could benefit from a slight edit, Woods still feels complete--and essential. [Jun 2012, p.80]

Until Reptar develop their own voice, they have to keep making up for their derivative music with enthusiasm. [Jun 2012, p.82]

Its pattering Jamaican rhythms and Indian drones well matched to lyrics that ruminate on revolutions both political and personal. [Jun 2012, p.84]

[Often the album] leads to pleasant but forgettable songs, leaning toward Britpop.

Though not as striking as True Devotion, it still tugs earnestly at your heartstrings. [May 2012, p.85]

The sextet deliver delightfully, dingy, wholly impressible rawk. [May 2012, p.75]

All of this comes together to form a cohesive collection that flows effortlessly; without a doubt, it's one of the strongest guitar-rock records 2012 will yield. [May 2012, p.83]

For now, this stands as another good if inessential addition to their catalog-a phrase that, for better or worse, applies to the majority of their output.

While it may not achieve the same sort of emotional depth fellow math-rockers Foals have, it would still be wise to follow them in whatever they go. [May 2012, p.81]

Ultimately, the album's main fault is its resolute consistency, namely the fact that things basically run on one speed, and it gets repetitive quickly.

Blunderbuss has a special casualness to it, thanks to White surrounding himself with a coterie of Nashville locals able to take him where he wants to go. The destination in question may very well be back to the early '70s, where country- and blues-tinged crossover records captivated America's post-Vietnam psyche.

Wisely, the quartet avoid the well-trodden road of "epic" guitar rock to deliver textures loaded with lyrical guitar phrasings within over-modulated grit and distortion.

A must for electro geeks. [May 2012, p.81]

It's the band--and Sturgis--who make Slave To The Game the most impressive album to date from the most underrated band in deathcore. [May 2012, p.72]

It's all so accomplished, it somehow comes across as weirdly uplifting. [May 2012, p.77]

Anxiety's songwriting is top-notch--substantial and precise, without sacrificing accessibility or originality. [Apr 2012, p.96]

It is perhaps three songs too long, but A Wasteland companion is, nonetheless, a welcome return to form. [May 2012, p.85]