It works and then some. [1 Jun 2013, p.54]

With tracks such as Clarity and Without Prejudice helping make this the most accessible Protest The Hero release to date, every one of these 11 tracks have enough substance to fulfill all your musical wants and needs. [26 Oct 2013, p.54]

The tense atmospheres and '80s-strength songwriting neutralise the ever-present threat of lapsing into pastiche. [30 Nov 2013, p.53]

Musically, this is the most extreme Slipknot have sounded since 2001's Iowa. [25 Oct 2014, p.52]

Weird, arty, heavy excellence, thy name is (still) Therapy?. [9 May 2015, p.53]

Like Sabbath on an especially mellow day. [14 Nov 2015, p.52]

It's as sharp as can be, as powerful as an atom bomb, and exactly the sort of thrilling metal adventure you want from them. [17 Mar 2018, p.53]

It’s a joyous riot from start to finish, and all comes together to form a loveable, middle-fingers-up record that furthers the recent work of bands like Dream Nails, Drones and Nova Twins in demonstrating the strength of modern UK punk.

Every single one of these songs flags up Bad Waitress as a genuinely exciting prospect.

It’s in the staggering breadth of what Code Orange dare to do here that’s as striking as how much they want you to break your neck from turning your head every time they dart around a corner.

Unquestionably the most proggy proposition on the album, this tune [L’Enfant De La Lune] shifts through different passages like a receptacle for all the musical touches Alcest have at their disposal. As such, it’s part of a listening experience which often feels like something of a journey, and if the specific destination is ambiguous, the direction is very much into the light.

It’s an altogether more oppressive album than Brighten, and therefore something that Alice In Chains fans are going to want in their lives. That said, I Want Blood still knows when to pause for breath.

This is an album for the coldest of autumns and for dark nights of the soul. It’s hellish, haunting and an emotional maelstrom, deeper and more textured than Witch Fever have ever gone before.

Across imperfect accounts and admissions, 5SOS are acknowledging how the pressure of performing links to a pressure to always be liked: to be young, to be attractive, to be good but not too good. So, they may piss off a metalhead or two by being colourfully themselves, but they’re sure good at pop rock.

The wonderfully titled England Keep My Bones features some of the finest songs Frank has yet written. [4 Jun 2011, p.52]

Funeral For A Friend have always been ordinary chaps with ordinary ambitions. Yet That masks something important: there is extraordinary heart in what they do. And there is much of that here. [21 Mar 2011, p.50]

It's adventurous, daring, different. [7 Feb 2015, p.54]

Compounding shades of this all-encompassing bleakness and newfound furore to an already formidable plateau of emo, indie and shoegaze could just about make it mewithoutYou's finest work to date. [20 Oct 2018, p.55]

As well as being excellent, Local Honey is evidence that the man himself is able to adjust his songwriting to his circumstances without compromising in its quality. It all makes for a seriously sweet listen that reaffirms the Jersey boy as a storyteller and songwriter par excellence.

This is an album that’s compelling and will leave you hanging onto your headphones to see what’s coming next.

What's most impressive is the sense of personal innovation, and WITTR's willingness to follow their vision wherever it may roam. [12 Jul 2015, p.54]

The whole thing is done and dusted in just under 40 minutes, yet zips by so fluidly that it feels half as long. [2 Jul 2011, p.50]

The quartet take songs that are not always wholly divorced from pop music and turn them into something weird and wild. [23 Mar 2019, p.55]

Musically, Requiem is heavy but not stodgy, fresh but familiar, and accessible without ever feeling forced. Its wisest creative decision, though, is keeping things lean and mean. At just nine tracks, there are few moments that feel anything less than essential.

Truly, so confident and perfectly measured are Royal Blood here that, while definitely focused on the stars, they sound like they never noticed the gutter was there in the first place. It’s rock’n’roll lit up by a disco ball.

Serpents Unleashed doesn't expand Skeletonwitch's armoury, but this band never disappoint. [26 Oct 2013, p.53]

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

It's just an album of bona fide, polished, often odd, perfect pop-rock. [27 Sep 2014, p.52]