They stand true to their ideals on Stoke Extinguisher.

While a product of hard times, Defend Yourself is a joyful listen and welcome addition to the Sebadoh catalog. It will please any fan of the band and also wouldn't be a bad jumping-off point for a new listener.

Fans who dismissed the band as being on autopilot after Invented was released should give Damage a try; they'll find a band that's focused, relatable and on top of their game.

Ultimately, it doesn't feel as differentiated as what the band did way back when, when their records stood out and urged you to pour sweat and tears into basement shows.

Whales & Leeches, their third full-length, offers more of what we’ve come to expect from the group, and can only be described as a hard-rocking, hard-partying good time.

It's a record that goes deep, slow and pensive at times, but then quickly gears up into its natural beast, staying in this state and allowing you to bask in its chaos.

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

The question is then, on Everybody Loves Sausages, the band's first all covers album, can they maintain the originality that seeps through their reworkings for an entire album? Yes, yes they can. And how.

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

If Lonesome and Moon are 10s, Good News is a 9 and Long Drive and We Were Dead are 8’s, then this gets 7/10. Definitely worth picking up for Modest Mouse fans, but those new to the band should start elsewhere.

Health's dark musical aesthetic feels as fresh as ever. ... Now, that's not to say there aren't a couple misses like "Rat Wars", but all in all, the androgynous energy of Jake Duzsik on the mic is more than enough to shape another pulsating yet nihilistic soundscape that reminds us how Health ages well like fine wine.

A few tracks run a bit boring and slightly monotonous but you've got the synth-traced "Shapes I Know" paying homage to acts like Conor Oberst and Max Bemis, "Buttercup" for fans of John K. Samson, and songs like "Phoenix" for when Ewald wants to explore his inner Elliott Smith or Sufjan Stevens. In these 10 tracks, you get a lot closer with him than you do in Modern Baseball's narrative which feels much more wholesale as opposed to Ewald's new musical therapy sessions.

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.

The Frank Turner side of the record wins the West Coast Vs. Wessex war. Whether it’s due to Fat Mike’s songwriting, or Turner’s vision is hard to say. I doubt this will ever occupy that special place in our hearts that NOFX/Rancid did, but it’s still a fun listen. It’s not a game changer at this point, but there’s still enough good stuff that fans of both acts are going to want to pick this up.

To whereas many may have expected that Idol’s first LP after 10 years be a rock destroyer, it’s probably his most mediative to date. It’s always great to hear Idol rev it up like the rock god that he is, but arguably, at this stage, it’s more interesting to hear what Idol thinks of Bill. And he still rocks live.

If I hadn't heard ROC, this album would have probably gotten a half-star more, but as it stands it's just above decent.

Cope is a loud dose of poetry which I can see stretching its musical arms very far and very wide.

It's strong all the way through, and it'll make you wish there were more than ten short tracks.

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.

The big hooks don’t connect, swinging too hard for something both underground and mainstream. This is a feat these two have accomplished before, but on Material, it always sounds just out of reach.

Here, DCFC cut loose a bit and it's water they're better off swimming in my opinion. Hopefully, there's more energy moving forward but all in all, Thank You for Today is a record we should be thankful has blossomed into existence, especially on the heels of how relatable it can be.

Angry riffs and gigantic hooks build the base of the album and it's one heavily steeped in frustration and angst. Sadly though, as emotional and honest as the record gets, too many songs are forgettable and lack the punch possessed a couple years ago.

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.

The distant vocals and a plethora of noisy, crashing cymbals keep a frenetic pace throughout the first half of Psychic Mess which tapers out to a slower second half.

Charming and inviting best sums this musical prose up.

The result: an album with zero purpose but worth a listen.

Painting With will not compare to Animal Collective’s most lauded work but these guys are forever experimentalists. This batch of songs is quicker and sunnier, something older fans are sure to despise. But what a great change of pace it is.

In true late 70s record style, the band seems to be throwing everything in the blender and letting things lock together as they will, as opposed to forcing a mandate. What’s not surprising about this is that it works.

This plays like any other band's greatest hits. Every song is gold.

Tigers Jaw have evolved but they're not going to drastically turn the corner. It's more of a slow bend around a hill. spin acknowledges the past, tipping its hat at it but that nod is an honest goodbye signaling a move to newer pastures.

Ultimately, by the time the final song rolls around, you can't help but wish this ran a few songs longer, which is indicative of how good the album is.

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.

Cursive has made an uneasy record for their fans that may be too on the nose, which is clearly the intention.

The music might be slightly quieter simply because it isn't amplified, but it's not any gentler than his usual stuff. By contrast, Osborne seems to be going out of his way to make these recordings as combustible as possible.

This is the result of three women who have perfected their sound, now it’s our job to listen.

It sounds like everything has been sounded down to the point where instruments tend to melt together and it can actually be hard to hear what is going on at some points. It doesn’t ruin the release, but it does make it sound vastly different on different unites. (i.e. the EP actually sounds really good – if not a little too slick- on my home stereo, but on my car stereo, it sounds watery).

If you're a fan of The Front Bottoms, you should consider that folk/indie/acoustic era totally dead. And it's not a bad thing to accept because art involves evolution and experimentation, and while it even took me a while to get accustomed to TFB's pop-mainstream aura, it's a jacket worn pretty damn well as In Sickness & In Flames shows.

As intimate as he gets, there's too strong a withdrawn feeling and one which severely takes away from an otherwise decent effort.

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.

Moving Mountains is built on measures of emotional force and with that emotive drive, it's hard to see this record failing.

In a year that will see an actual new Gaslight Anthem album, as well as Brian Fallon's new side project Molly & the Zombies, The B-Sides can be easily skipped.

Stickles and company prove once again that there is nothing more punk than doing the opposite of what’s expected. And this album meets, exceeds and plays with expectations in the way only Stickles knows how.

The songs are well constructed and the playing sounds authentic. ... The issue comes when Corgan begins to sing, and it’s not his nasally voice that doesn’t work. ... He still, too often, thinks his voice deserves to be the loudest in the room. He’s still a city boy hung up on big ideas.

Yet, with all these contrasting angles and despite the roadhouse crew bringing up the lower end, the album flies by breezily. Although the band has legion of dispatched formers bassists in their wake, it appears the band does play well with others. And not only that, they know how to use “others“ to great potential.

I think this record has to be taken in isolation and taken in context of needed something to do during the pandemic. But regardless, No Fun Mondays is a pop-rocking good time.

Father of All Motherfuckers is a danceable, feel-good pop album with some really stellar songwriting and, after the impotent Revolution Radio and the ludicrous ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré! trilogy, seeing Green Day branch out a bit and succeed at something different is refreshing. It’s a sign of artists with a great deal of range and imagination who are far from done surprising us.

The lyrics are cheesy and uninspiring at best.

From the Very Depths is an unexpectedly awesome record that should please most extreme metal fans.

All the elements that make Ghost who they are in place on Infestissumam; they're just surrounded by the sound of the band trying new things, some of which work better than others.

Hints at the past of each band member but comes together quite nicely to give something new, something unexpected but something that has, well, almost everything, for rock fans of many genres.

John Paul Pitts’ melodic prowess is what keeps me listening, even on a more chill album like Snowdonia. Something about his melodies and vocal timbre just hooks me and won’t let go. I just wish they would pump the volume back up!

Given Morello’s dynamite live sets with the E Street Band, it’s a shame that the Springsteen album with his biggest influence is so underwhelming.

The thought of trying to recreate “Abolish Government” or “Code Blue” a dozen more times for a new record probably didn’t appeal much to him [Jack Grisham]. If that’s the only TSOL stuff you like, you should pass on this. If you can keep an open mind, there’s lots to like about The Trigger Complex.

Coming Home scrubs away the band's aggression and tries to get more emotional, but all it does is end up sounding like that perv you'd never leave a drunk friend around.

Ultimately, it feels like too much is crammed in and AFI can't tell if they want to go pop, goth, retro or symphonic. And with something that schizophrenic, it undercuts a lot of what could have been diamonds in the rough.

This isn't a swing and a miss, nor is it a home run. It is an emphatic, resounding and diminutive crack to the wall, with a band that knows how to diligently round base cooly, calmly and collectively.

Some improved diversity and novel musical ideas make 13.0.0.0.0 a much more interesting listen, though, and it's nice to hear a math rock band bringing more than just math to their songwriting sensibilities.

A few songs impress but the majority is meant to fill radio stations and leave you wondering where the magic this band held went. Probably outer space...

Obviously these tracks are nowhere near as essential as the originals, but it’s two great voices singing a handful of timeless tracks, and fans of any of the artists involved would most likely enjoy at least a few tracks from Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield Sing Elliott Smith.

This is one of the most profound heart and soul records I've ever experienced.

Everything Now feels like everything's dead as it lacks any sort of freshness or intrigue.

The release is energetic, genuine, and not concerned with being “perfect.” Emotion and inflection beats systematic skill every single time and the lighting pace at which these tracks seem to have been laid down only makes them more compelling, more exciting, and more genuine.

If one doesn't expect the last great Stooges album and sets aside the hype, Ready to Die is actually a pretty good, satisfying proto-punk rock album.

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

Fans of melodic rock music with a tinge of punk attitude will find plenty to sing along to here.

The yMusic songs certainly sound like Ben Folds music, except that they are frustratingly safe.

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.

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

If you’re a fan of slow, sad, acoustic songs, then this is an interesting EP for your collection. Either way, it’s a great midway point in Sorority Noise’s growing canon.

Real to Reel would have benefited from more diversity.

Better Nature tows the fine line between artistic and product and walks the right side quite well.

The arrangements are much tighter, the lyrics feel fleshed out in a time where we can't help but be cynical of humans, and overall what you get from Sebastien Grainger and Jesse Keeler is a buzzy spin on the rock genre that feels like two dudes just chilling while the apocalypse hits and everyone's running around with their heads on fire.

Admittedly, he plays to his strengths here more than in recent memory but again, some songs do just taper off like the reworked "Silent Key". Nonetheless, if you're a Frank fan, you'll enjoy, and if you're a cynic, well you might just find that there's not as much to hate here as you thought there'd be.

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.

Transfixiation shows a dangerous band finally sounding as dangerous as their live show indicates.

For the most part, Dolly sounds great- her personality pouring through effortlessly, as well as her masterful way to inhabit a song without making it a caricature.

They try to be all vulnerable but come off overly cheesy with no real big hooks.

The pacing of Youth is near-flawless. It's a gloomy atmosphere but ambitious nonetheless.

The songwriting's still pretty on point and dramatic. More so, you can feel that the spine's present here which made their older music tick. It's just the meat on the bones that's spiced very differently.

It’s a solid listen in its own right.

Most of the album is way over-polished and creatively stifled. MTB try to maintain a sense of how well they did prog-punk but this is a line they can't even straddle anymore. The beauty that was once there is gone. Voids is aptly titled.

A few songs miss the mark but the majority really stick with the charisma that's attached to Major League.

Good Charlotte know how to write a hit and a hook but their honorable intentions to be memorable fall short.

If they look hard enough, any artist could find criticism of their work online. That’s sort of the curse of the Information Age. But not everyone overreacts quite as much as Eminem does. But if his fears grow tiring, his lyrical ability can still give you something to admire, even if the album is somewhat uneven.

What's tough is that to get to the second half, you really have to drag yourself through some disappointing stuff earlier. If you can make it through, you'll find Zero isn't the disaster everyone thought it would be.

As it is, this gives us too many long, dull spots across the nine tracks and 48 minute run time. To be fair, there is some really good stuff here. There’s at least enough that hardcore Ministry fans are going to want to buy Amerikkkant. You just have to wade through a fair amount of filler to find it.

Ye doesn’t feel like that reinvention. If anything, this album feels safe, a word I imagine is insulting to the artist. ... However, Kanye has an incredible ear for production, more apparent on Pusha T’s DAYTONA. There are some excellent moments on Ye, but with only twenty-four minutes of music, some doesn’t cut it.

The spine and overall potential for a great record is definitely here but it was all about adding meat to these bones, and sadly, SSPU just comes off way too lean.

California isn’t a perfect record, nor does it need to be. It displays a band getting back on the right page with great energy yet struggling a bit to find equilibrium.

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.

Give Indie Cindy an honest listen. If you have to, just pretend it's the new project of Frank Black, Joey Santiago and David Loverling.

Chapter and Verse misses the mark in the sense that what it tries to achieve, Conduit already did in 2013. This album feels like a repetition of that and loses steam along the way.

AAF spread all their goodies out over these tracks with the rest of the album lacking energy. Sad to say, the other tracks feel drab and don't translate well at all.

The fact is, on Black Laden Crown, Danzig seems to have reached the conceptual and sonic epiphany he’s been searching for since the end of Danzig 4. The production issues may dampen this epiphany to a degree, but a production problem in of itself is not enough to buckle the dark message behind the computerized choices.

Christmas Songs is a fun enough, but ultimately non-essential piece of the Bad Religion canon.

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

He puts his vocals on bright display as compared to the sparse musical backing. It’s not quite the unrestrained dissection that Johnny Cash’s American Recordings series was, but it leans in that direction.

Quiet Slang was the stripped-down version of the band so we don't need acoustics like "Nobody Say Nothing" or "Nowhere Bus" or the piano-driven closer "Bar No One". They're catchy, sure, but I mean, they're songs we've heard over and over so if it ain't new, at this point, please fix it. I do commend the band for attempting to cut a new road with songs like "Stiff" but again, it's all about sex appeal here and I just can't connect with a band and a vocalist that comes off like a 17 year-old who is now trying too hard.