Alpha and Rainbow Gravity are the sound of a band in complete control of their sonic destiny, reining in those djenty riffs for more cinematic musings that quickly unravel into modern metal anthems. [17 Jan 2015, p.54]

Lovers of folk rock take note: Arbouretum are likely to be a deserving early entry in your best of 2013 list. [19 Jan 2013, p.54]

As we say, brilliant fun. And shot fired. [2 Apr 2016, p.50]

Don't be fooled by any revivalist tosh out at the moment, this really is the real deal. [26 Mar 2011, p.52]

If the music The men are making is punk, it's rarely sounded so awesome. [2 Mar 2013, p.51]

It's a great thrash record, not the jokey novelty of the genre's boom, as stainless, hard-edged. aggressive metal album that would be just as deadly were it from 2011, or 1986. [24 Sep 2011, p.51]

Sacrificing none of that trademark musicianship, this is Dream Theater at their most accessible, and they lose nothing for it. [23 Feb 2019, p.55]

A mature, provocative and at times genuinely beautiful piece of work. [1 Apr 2017, p.50]

That Voivod have made a killer album is no surprise at all. The sounds they've pulled from the void, however as ever, are. [19 Jan 2013, p.54]

The good news is that the riffs are back. [8 Sep 2012, p.53]

IKTPQ have avoided the cliches that could've crippled their return. Instead, they've proved metalcore is still worth getting excited about. [1 Feb 2014, p.53]

The punk influences are correct and present from the opening riffs of Black Stone, with Lauren Larson's gnarly vocals showing all the promise of a powerful frontwoman. [10 May 2014, p.54]

It's bleak, it's far from fun, and it's not for everyone, but Dance On The Blacktop is unfailingly honest, raw and uniquely stunning. [18 Aug 2018, p.53]

Rescue & Restore is a dove with singed wings, then--a monument more to what metalcore should be than what it all too often is. [29 Jun 2013, p.53]

Bleak as all hell, then, yet somehow this uncompromising music seems so in tune with the times that Chat Pile could genuinely be on the cusp of a major breakthrough. Don’t miss out.

They've finally made an album as noisy and expressive as their leader. [22 Sep 2012, p.52]

This, album number eight, is ample reward for anyone who kept the faith. [17 Jan 2015, p.53]

Shame is a weighty slab of industrial punk that is effectively the soundtrack to a tortured soul mentally coming apart. Reinventing a core element of themselves, Uniform present a side they have previously kept boiling angrily under a darkened surface.

Teresa Suarez's voice, naked and vulnerable amid woozy sounds and intricate soundscapes, is the real focus of Bosnian Rainbows. [22 Jun 2013, p.52]

Snarling, furious, smart, more please, Boss Hog. More. [1 Apr 2017, p.53]

The Pale Emperor doesn't repeat the in-your-face rebellion of Manson 1996. But it does share those old traits of being brave, smart and intriguing. [10 Jan 2015, p.52]

A nonstop riot of positivity that might not change the world, but will certainly make it seem a less dismal place for the 37-odd minutes. [19 Jan 2013, p.52]

An album that, while not Thrice's best, still soars above the competition. [25 Jun 2016, p.51]

blink's most musically ambitious, yet spiritually comprehensive, album to date. [2 Jul 2016, p.50]

The doom and the dirge are relentless but never get boring. [10 May 2014, p.54]

Venomously good stuff. [10 Jan 2015, p.52]

The highs far outweigh the lows. [9 Mar 2013, p. 50]

Those looking for the conventional will find it, relatively speaking, in the sparseness of When Will I Return?, while the near-29-minute title-track--like the album it's housed on--is both a journey and a total trip. [25 Jun 2016, p.53]

Seventh album Luminiferous delivers every bit of HOF's expertise. [20 Jun 2015, p.52]

Amid all the feedback and echoes here, there's something wonderfully ominous about Locrain's music. [29 Jun 2013, p.54]

The open-minded will find that Harmonic is a journey well worth making. [12 May 2012, p.54]

A very accomplished, multifaceted, genre-dodging outing. [8 Feb 2014, p.52]

Their confidence in holding back the fury also serves them well, not doing so just to make the heavier parts seem heavier, making the whole thing flow seamlessly, carrying Whitechapel almost effortlessly to the proverbial next level.

Every song on Home packs a mighty chorus with a bloody, beating heart, pumping truth and righteousness to, from and for the soul. [9 Mar 2013, p.52]

At its best, it’s pure, soul-soothing escapism. And yet, this is only the start – as she grows, she'll evolve and mould everything she’s absorbed into an even more individual sound.

A superior collection from a genuinely superior group. [27 Jul 2019, p.56]

Elysian Woes and River prove that, whatever your favorite version of Opeth, they possess a embarrassment of riches when it comes to gorgeous melodies. [16 Aug 2014, p.53]

This is eclectic stuff. [16 Feb 2013, p.51]

Across 11 tracks In•ter a•li•a never loses focus and never takes the easy options, offering fractured anthems for fractured times. [6 May 2017, p.50]

Cult doesn't rock the boat so much as reinforce it against any potential wear and tear, with Bayside never sounding so fired up. [8 Feb 2014, p.54]

It’s a ferocious, fearless record from one of Britain’s best.

With a raw energy that engrosses even the casual listener, this Manchester quartet simply take your attention without asking. [25 Jun 2016, p.52]

It sounds like Ash have never been away. [30 May 2015, p.53]

Great Divide is a tightly honed, 12-track collection. [16 Aug 2014, p.52]

Tomorrow Never Comes is more of a delight than really it has any right to be. Certainly, it’s a good deal more compelling than any of its authors’ more recent albums.

The music and lyrics the band supply to chronicle these periods of confusion and transition are more than enough to steal the show. [11 Jan 2014, p.52]

As compositionally impetuous as they are lyrically intelligent, Pissed Jeans are amongst rock's most uncompromising outfits. [16 Feb 2013, p.51]

Classic, classy, and it absolutely rocks. [25 Jun 2016, p.52]

What's undeniable is that Ceremony's sixth album is packed with more memorable tunes than many bands can manage in a whole six albums. [31 Aug 2019, p.54]

After two decades of creating influential music, the fact that this astonishing album features some of his best songs to date makes this as important as it is unfalteringly beautiful. [12 Mar 2011, p. 51]

The music remains a force to be reckoned with. [7 Jan 2017, p.54]

There’s catharsis and darkness, but they are of the most forward-looking variety, fringed at times with something approaching hopeful joy. In a time where Evanescence’s usual emotional touch could easily speak to feelings of isolation, fear, confusion, hopelessness, loss and fragility, The Bitter Truth gets on that frequency and interrupts it.

In an era when so many classic bands return to tout but without risking new material, it's a delight to have Soundgarden take that gamble and win. [17 Nov 2012, p.52]

The overall effect is one of a versatile, diffuse, but somehow far more focused collection of songs than were present in Neighborhoods. [22 Dec 2012, p.68]

There are a lot of records about the end of the world out there, vying for attention. This is one worth listening to. [6 Apr 2019, p.69]

Nakedly confessional or all dressed up, this is an album to cherish. [6 May 2017, p.51]

Kvelertak play rock'n'roll that's been distilled to its purest sense. [23 Mar 2013, p.53]

It's a long overdue return, but one that's been entirely worth the wait. [12 Feb 2011, p.52]

Attention to detail makes …So Unknown an involving listen, but emphatically doesn’t detract from the band’s primary intention of rearranging your skeletal structure through elastic, chugging riffs and neck-snapping beats.

Another quiet triumph, then, exclusively on their own terms. [17 Nov 2012, p.55]

For a serious Pumpkins fan, this is a gold mine. [15 Dec 2012, p.49]

The Mutt’s Nuts is the absolute dog’s bollocks, and well worth a sniff.

Chicago punks mark 10-year anniversary in characteristically fiery form. [12 Mar 2011, p. 51]

Each is very different, but they’re connected by a sense of the time and space they were crafted in. It’s a collection of postcards from the edge that we’ve all been walking and one that’s utterly engaging.

A record that's intelligent with its music, but played with an explosive level of nastiness that sounds like they'd burn your house down if you crossed them. [17 Sep 2016, p.52]

All Them Witches have conjured fresh landmarks all their own. [18 Feb 2017, p.52]

This is an important album, not only because it extends Gojira’s palette and cements their place as one of metal’s most skilled and uncompromising bands. They’re also one of the most inspiring as they call for strength, for action and above all for fortitude.

Those familiar with the band will be unsurprised that it’s an intense, at times overwhelming listen. ... Panorama is another outstanding release from a truly special band.

This is an album that sounds of box-fresh offerings foma shop-worn veteran in which everything about it suits him well. [6 May 2017, p.52]

The best songwriting of their rollercoaster career. [9 May 2015, p.53]

These eight tracks bind the smart emo of Brand New to the rootsy alt.country of a Bright Eyes or Ryan Adams, stroking nostalgia and tugging the heartstrings throughout. [2 Jul 2016, p.52]

If life is still depicted largely as a struggle against despair, these songs nevertheless suggest that small moments of happiness can be found amongst the darkness. If the message of No Joy is ultimately one of perseverance, it’s fitting that this is an album which seems set to grant its creators a new lease of life.

The record flows effortlessly from disco to all-out rock ballad, and it ends with a stunningly atmospheric climax only they can pull off. [6 May 2017, p.52]

A dirgey treat. [2 May 2015, p.53]

[A] shattering farewell LP. [10 May 2014, p.53]

These songs do not merely take a cursory glance at varied and disparate styles, but are, in fact, detailed and carefully conceived excavations. [2 Aug 2014, p.52]

There’s all manner of the energetic offerings you’re yearning for here. But there are the slower soul-bearers too, in the same vein as the classic I’m With You, such as Avalanche, which will appeal to fans of what Olivia Rodrigo is doing.

Lamb Of God are not the band they once were. Those were the sounds of then. This is the now.

Into Oblivion is probably the best thing the Virginia metallers have done in 10 years. It’s not a reinvention, but neither is it Lamb Of God making their album again. The whole thing boils with caustic energy, red in tooth and claw.

Like all comebacks worthy of the listener's time, Indie Cindy is more than a rehash of the group's earlier near-hits, and is instead an outing that manages to surprise and enthrall. [19 Apr 2014, p.53]

This is the work of a brilliant artist who is singular in both talent and vision. [14 Sep 2019, p.54]

For all the record's big riffs and bravado, there's plenty regarding matters of the heart, from the heart. [10 Sep 2016, p.50]

A selection of genuinely catchy songs built around cast-iron melodies.

You couldn't accuse it of being a complicated listen. Thankfully, the truncated frustrations of Catalina Fight Song ensure Joyce Manor are still a challenging one. [26 Jul 2014, p.53]

For the first time in too long, it is a Weezer record that rocks exactly how a Weezer record should.

Every moment is charged with the perfect balance of power, melody, and muscle. [26 Mar 2011, p.51]

It's been as long time, but Do To The Beast finds The Afghan Whigs doing what they do, ahem, beast. [19 Apr 2014, p.54]

There’s little to link the various tracks on this eclectic collection, nothing to make it a coherent whole, but it certainly underlines the band’s extraordinary ability to shape-shift. Mastodon have changed over the years, but Medium Rarities proves they have always operated in a dimension that isn’t entirely earthbound

Bangers like Die By The Sword and Hole In The Head share not only the four syllable song titles of the Balls To The Wall/Fast As A Shark Days; they're chock-full of those classics' runaway riffage, searing solos and tooth-cracking attitude, too. [5 Aug 2017, p.52]

This is another modern classic from a classic band. [14 Sep 2019, p.55]

Once again, it's a sonic petrol bomb that makes you feel like you've been set on fire, and once again The Prodigy have proved nobody does it better. [3 Nov 2018, p.59]

All of this is very good. Even better for the fact that, even though it ties to the movie, it doesn't have much reason to exist beyond the sake of doing it. It's wild, off the cuff, youthful, over-excited, exactly how this stuff is meant to make you feel.

Their most confident collection yet, full of persuasive rock songs in which Taylor, her voice punchily prominent in the mix, holds court on a variety of important topics.

They're back with a glorious melange of influence that borrows from everywhere but combines to sound like no-one else on earth. [1 Aug 2012, p.54]

It’s an exhibition of just what a simply, fundamentally good band Foo Fighters are, and how skilled with a tune and a melody Dave Grohl is. You couldn’t call it stripped back as such, but its less hectic nature throws things into slightly sharper focus.

Every Loser is superb. But more importantly it encapsulates Iggy’s essence, not by reframing for a modern audience or pandering to trends, but drawing out the timeless qualities of its author: his anger, his sense of wonder and romance, and his downright strangeness.

Their seventh record might just be their most melodically expansive yet. [27 Aug 2016, p.52]

They're still aggressive, heavy and furious, but this new approach also makes them relevant, incisive and swaggering again. [10 Dec 2011, p.50]