Thrash metal is in the middle of a huge revival. Testament is a major part of it, joining Anthrax, Death Angel, DRI, Megadeth, Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies just to name a few. All have put out crucial new material 30 years into their careers. Add Brotherhood of the Snake to the must have thrash releases of 2016.

While American Weekend had clear standouts in tracks like "Be Good" and "Bathtub," Cerulean Salt manages to maintain a consistently high quality throughout.

All set to buzzy guitars and a bass-kit dynamic that adds so much oomph and clout to a band that, well, doesn't really have to do much to get you going. Dive in and see if you emerge alive.

Hare’s both sides show that in fact, the door of Glass Boys was just what they needed. With their past now packed away, they can essentially do whatever they want and their inherent Fucked Up-ness will still shine through.

While not flawless, this collection of songs is indeed an ethereal alternative experience chock full of diversity, energy and fizz.

This album has a more mature twang to it, musically and lyrically. And interestingly enough, it's pretty minimalist and their simplest-sounding stuff to date.

The energy is infectious, the pace is relentless and frenetic, and the magic is constant, truly carving out a 'back to form' aura.

There’s a lot of good here. The band’s personality has never shown through like this in the studio before.

Melvins still have something profound to say about the Melvins… but then again, a double disc album that includes one full disc of noise experiments and one full disc of BB King level musicianship kind of was a shocker.

Te nearly two dozen guests here add both a gravitas and liveliness to the LP.

Guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean and drummer Reed Mullin still have an undeniable chemistry, and No Cross No Crown is a satisfying return to form.

There is a true appreciation and savoring of sonic texture here.

Much like their most obvious influence Motorhead, High On Fire have found a formula that works for them and they largely stick to it.

While the rockers establish the theme, it’s the slow numbers that really drive the point home.

Joy as an Act of Resistance is a cohesive banner proving IDLES practice what they preach.

It is a welcome, surprising return to form.

I'll Be The Tornado is highly focused, driven and a record that never seems content

The Crystal Fairy debut self-titled LP certainly feels like it was made in a flash. The eleven tracks speed by, flipping from riff to riff, track to track. In fact, the whole album has such an impulsive energy, it almost feels like it was recorded in a single, continuous take... and that’s a good thing.

Ultimately, they’re doing retro-thrash with a modern feel, and they’re pretty damn good at it. If you like to bang your head, Power Trip should be on your radar.

It's not loud or in-your-face. It's not preachy. Their stance is subtle yet strong.

IV is a worthy return that shows the Bronx still have those chops.

Mandatory Fun is not necessarily among his must-have albums, but it's another solid addition that with satisfy any fan and win over some new kids through these big hit parodies and viral videos.

V sticks to Tiger Army's roots but wanders just far enough to stretch its arms.

A nice rebound from the fan service of its predecessor, showing that even this late in the game, Alkaline Trio can still write better songs than the vast majority of their contemporaries and take them to uncharted waters when it feels right.

They really proved that they're a conduit for great music and a band that's chomping at the bit to explore and vary their style.

At first glance, it may seem more controlled, pacified and constrained a sound, but if you know the band, they never make music with restraint and as the album plays out, Dreyer's experience becomes your own.

Scientist is an excellent showcase of everything that made Chrome great, and continues to make Chrome great.

Tere is a great deal of fun being had by all parties here. But, unlike, perhaps other works that reference classic styles, this is no send up or wry reference, but a sheer appreciation for the work of the weirdo masters of yesteryear... as performed by the weirdo masters of today.

A profound confidence is demonstrated throughout the record and the group makes the timeless argument that strong simplicity beats fancy fretwork- and it always does.

There are so many bangers here you'll find yourself wasting an hour or so in the best way possible.

Admittedly, it's a huge undertaking to listen through, especially for newbies, but much like Horseback's other releases, it's worth the effort.

Abandon All Life isn't a radical departure, but it is the most clever use of the band's tools to date.

It's pretty intimate and will be deeply appreciated (especially the outtakes) if you're a fan.

I think An Object battles Everything In Between for best No Age album, and while I think Object contains even more interesting musical elements, Everything had more hooks.

Standards is definitely a major step forward, and a fearless one at that.

It's boisterous punk with just enough melodic hardcore embedded to ensure that Single Mothers won't be on any Joyce Manor bills anytime soon.

Through A Wall dropped as a surprise and what I love most about it is it's so bold in that it goes right back to the sound of old after last year's Our Pleasure seemed to take a more catchy, melodic and dare I say, poppy route.

Fans will definitely find some songs on this album that are relatable and catchy. While some songs feel not as strong as others, the album still holds up for a front to back listen.

Transangelic Exodus is easily his most ambitious album but, for him, feels like a natural progression, seeing him find new ways to open up.

Antisocialites feels like rebellion but it does end up conforming to the heart, which will become more weathered as Rankin moves along.

For this short time, Permanence transports you back to a younger place where you're free. Enjoying the ride. Not worrying about consequences for the time being.

Wolf's Law doesn't expand on the Joy Formidable's sound so much as it cements their sound.

It doesn't quite reach the heights of Tempo of the Damned, but it is an excellent slab of thrash metal and one of the best heavy releases of the year.

The more intelligible lyrics and mid-fi production keep things entertaining and give it the feeling of a fully fleshed-out work.

Overall, Modern Vampires of The City sounds fantastic, but not overproduced.

With Wavves, you know what you're getting, and while Afraid of Heights offers no major surprises, it may be their finest hour yet.

Expectations may not exactly be lived up to the way you had hoped. You just may, however, find that your expectations were wrong in the first place. That’s right, Positive Songs for Negative People is more than worth your time.

If you're looking for something that's as moody as it is calming, and as beautiful as it is atmospheric, Slowdive's for you. Just thank the heavens they came back to save us with these eight tracks.

There are no gimmicks. There’s nothing screaming for acceptance. Melodrama is a raw, real album under its sparkly clean production. One written for the masses but able to resonate with each individual listener.

One Day is massive, even if it is short by comparison. Again, the sound is huge with layered guitars and ghostly layered background vocals. Singer Damian Abraham’s bark is a blasted out as ever. But, whereas Fucked up is sometimes dark and scary, here the sound is positively bright.

Their music isn’t for everybody, but those who enjoy musical adventurism would do well to give The Ark Work a try. Even if you hate it, you certainly won’t be bored. For those of us who are already on board, this is an exciting next step from Aesthetica, and it will be interesting to see where they can possibly go from here.

Dog Party know how to make a kicking, moving, genuine, bona-fide rock tune with just two instruments and two voices.

You won’t learn anything about the 44th state, but you will get your fill of more loud, pop-punk goodness.

This is their best work to date and the great thing is, you can tell they're still evolving and fleshing out which direction to head in. It feels like a state of limbo, but in the best way possible.

There are so many moments of catharsis despite a few songs feeling repetitive or filler. It's bold, jammed with raw emotion and to top that, brutally honest.

Seeing that the transition into Pleasant Living come off so smoothly is even more pleasing as it seems lyrically, they've grown, and in this maturity, the experience factor kicks in.

In Home, Off With Their Heads have crafted an album that should satisfy both fans looking for more of the same, and listeners who like to see the band stretch their legs a bit, creatively.

This album shows that newfound purpose, and more importantly, it shows that NOFX is still NOFX no matter if they embrace the ‘76 or ’16 punk mentality and that they are that much better because of it.

Just as No Doubt succeeded as being the ska band that wasn’t always a ska band, Scowl is succeeding as Scowl- the structures built around them are irrelevant, which makes me think again of the image of the moth breaking free of its cocoon, which is necessary for its survival and evolution.

All the hallmarks of Defeater's sound are here.

Repentless is the best Slayer album of the 21st century.

They’ve always been impressively consistent while refusing to settle for anything less than greatness and Cody is just another example of this.

Recorded by a New York jazz quartet, the entire record sounds superb and oddly intimate.

Cardinal feels cinematic, colourful and is a great fine-tuning of the promise shown on past EPs.... A heavy listen, but one that's worth it.

Not only do they bring back their best traits, Nothing absolutely perfects a diverse sound they've been trying to nail for some time. Not that they were bad at it, quite the opposite, but here, refining and honing finally pays off.

Ultimately, with such amazing writers, this album's going to drill deep down into you and leave you missing the things you need in life. The persons you love and the moments you may think's best to forget.

Apocalipstick isn't just a record, it's an experience about being hungry, fearless and restless in a world that condemns those for being such.

Partycrasher isn’t a comeback record or a return to form. If anything, it’s a loud affirmation that A Wilhelm Scream are still one of the most creatively engaging and thoroughly fun and exciting bands in punk.

Mike Patton fans know to expect the unexpected, and will love this. For Dave Lombardo fans, Dead Cross will be more of a stretch. If you’re an open minded hardcore fan (is that an oxymoron?), I can’t recommend this enough.

The indie-DIY feel is prolific enough to allow the majority of their sound to sink in as it's noisy in a good way and yet, a bit harsh when it comes to lyrical exposure.

New Moon is an exciting, challenging and rewarding listen.

Open Door Policy is the album longtime fans have been waiting for. The lyrics are there and the music is there.

The big takeaways from the equally big Semicircle are 1) the Go! Team are back and better than ever and 2) the Go! Team never really left.

This is the Hold Steady's guitar album, in a discography full of guitar albums. Crank it.

This album is much more interesting and engaging than Diaper, but just like with that album, the dancey, synth-heavy songs like Airplane's "TMNT Mask" are absent.

While this album isn’t what most people would consider rock, it definitely challenges the listener and succeeds at creating a world for the characters that occupy these songs and making the listener feel like they’re there for the experience themselves.

An infectious album of either punk influenced pop or pop influenced punk. Whatever the appropriate term for the music here is, it gets stuck in your head.

This time, they're much more versed and diversified, expanding their borders in terms of storytelling as well. Chris Loporto's vocals drive the record home, especially on slow melodic burns like "Quitting" and "Molly's Desk", which all pop with a loud bang at the end, signifying what Can't Swim are about.

All of this adds up to another winning album in a near-flawless discography.

Turn Out The Lights is a powerful listen, teaching you to live with your failures and fears, and to move from coping with them to actually loving them.

There’s an intelligence wrapped in the machinery here. This is cyborg music driven by metal fingers, but the human heart is still intact.

By combining the ragged, sloppy riffs of garage rock with the minor scales of death rock and darker music, the band create a haunting sound that also rocks the hell out.

Overall, Our Pleasure feels musically intricate on a new level--thicker basslines, much more pronounced drums and priding itself with a lot of guitar-driven character. It's them at their most distinct and honestly, most assertively powerful stance.

While the sound overall could be described as 80s jangle-pop, we’ve got hints of everything from early 70s Bowie and T Rex, to early-80s XTC to early-90s Vaselines and Beat Happening.

The record is an incredible release start to finish.

Intersections is colorful but not full of drivel or loquacious exposition. It isn't pretentious. It's just raw and fucking heartwarming. Grab it.

These are the songs that cut deep and cut slowly.

Seriously, these songs feel like Smashing Pumpkins demos--grainy, rough, atmospheric--like if they were made in a garage, and I think that's exactly what CN wanted to achieve. Rough, raw and rugged, but still jangly, catchy and head-poppy enough to leave you wanting more.

What matters though is that their catchy magic never dies down, rearranging all your emotions on the way and relating to you with the heartfelt comfort of a truly kindred spirit. III delivers just that, starting slowly but eventually snowballing into your soul with an indescribable fire.

IV is a worthy return that shows the Bronx still have those chops.

Over twenty-one years later the band has released Going Down in History that shows even if the band’s tongue in cheek send up of David Koesh and his followers isn’t culturally relevant, this band certainly still can be.

Die Knowing is not the record that tries to re-capture the past, but rather combine the best of everything Comeback Kid has previously done. Boy did they deliver.

While there are unmistakable comparisons to bands like PUP and The Dirty Nil abound, Precious Art rolls on to mesh together a lot of influences while still standing on its own, carving out an identity that's as distinct as it is loud and catchy.

It has enough experimentation in it to throw off fans of old, but Every Country's Sun is a Mogwai album at heart. It's just marching to a different drum. It jars you like the Beasts of No Nation soundtrack but leaves you, as the title implies and wants, much more hopeful.

There’s something to be said about the immediacy and the vitality of something as messy and as real as an album like White Stuff. Nothing about what this band is has diminished over time, and White Stuff is a roaring return to right where Royal Trux left off 19 years ago.

At 10 tracks, Savage Gold is lean enough not to wander, diverse enough not bore, and certainly heavy enough to smash skulls and pillage minds.

Science Fiction is one of their most real and most effective pieces of art. Mike Sapone's production was spot on again and the cover of those girls jumping from a balcony more or less sums up what you need to do with this. Close your eyes and jump right in.

She’s self aware and independent. She proves pop doesn’t have to be drab and, instead, can be thoughtful and boundary pushing. Art Angels exists for those who love pop but even more so for those who actively avoid it.