Producer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Amon Amarth) respectfully maintains the video game splendor that grabbed fans on 2006’s “Through the Fire and Flames,” but 'Reaching Into Infinity' shows this sextet still has more universes to explore.

Sounds of a Playground Fading hews closely to the melodic-death-metal-meets-alt-rock style these guys have spearheaded since 2002's Reroute to Remain, with crunchy riffs regularly giving way to soaring choruses that could seduce a Muse fan.

This is one that truly has us at hello--or at least at “Reset,” the opening track of Metal Church’s first album with singer Mike Howe since 1993’s ‘Hanging in the Balance.’

The second full-length offering from The Shine finds the Chuck Dukowski–approved Los Angeles skater/stoner-rock trio more or less picking up where their last album, 2012′s Primitive Blast, left off.

For all of its ferocity and force, though, Scurrilous is a surprisingly pleasant listen, in part due to frontman Rody Walker's high-pitched melodic vocals which belie the aggressiveness of the blistering guitars. Recommended, definitely. Diverse and innovative, definitely not.

Like their spiritual and sonic forefathers in Khanate, Asunder, and Buried at Sea, their music is bleak, crushing, and decidedly off-kilter.

Despite Chamberlain’s strong pipes and pedigree, Broken Compass lacks the umph and innovation to be something truly exceptional.

While not terribly mindblowing, this EP is a quick and entertaining listen.

The new songs sound similar to those on the the band's last full length release, The Powerless Rise.... The remixes, meanwhile, aren't exactly noteworthy.

The best odds and sods collected here are those on which they stray from relentless shouting.

Rather than pat themselves on the back for still being alive, the guys in Soundgarden went on a nostalgia trip, and honestly, it's for the best.

These ominous minor-key workouts routinely change direction on a dime, not unlike a tornado or a hurricane.

This collaborative overkill is the same misstep that hobbled the group's last comeback attempt, 1993's Down With The King. [#4, p.108]

Interesting, but hardly the band that made Meantime. [Sep/Oct 2010, p.90]

While the sound may flirt with alt-rock and electronica, the underlying sensibility is prog like BTBAM, in its melodic complexity and lyrical depth. Mar/Apr 2011, p.92]

AFI fans will no doubt miss the guitar muscle, but adventurous listeners will appreciate the retro-synth theatrics.

For all its polish and sonic approachability, this is no sell-out record. Rescue may go down easy, but at the album's core, it's still an appealingly bitter pill.

The Constant is best when going fast and loud, keeping your heart racing (and your mind off the subpar lyrics), but it loses momentum with cookie cutter ballad "holding On To You and a track, "Remember A Time," that oddly sounds more like Weezer than Warped Tour. [Mar/Apr 2010, p.92]

The heshers who crave this Viking death-march death-metal will have it, and those who aren't inspired by what they stream on the internet won't. Even with a lesser work, Amon Amarth have done their job.

While Lions roars with all of the classic rock bombast and Stones-y swagger we've come to expect from the Crowes, the album is sorely lacking in the magic that can only be achieved when the innately talented drive themselves to distraction in the pursuit of perfection. [May/June 2001, p.110]

Nothing here grabs you as immediately as "Bring Me To Life" did. Still, the group's pummeling disco-grunge version of "Like A Prayer?" Totally awesome. [May/Jun 2010, p.100]

Pressure & Time can bog down in its own retro pretensions, but singer Jay Buchanan is an undeniable vocal force.

Having tasted success, it's not surprising that most of the vocal tracks on 7th Symphony are decidedly commercial. Almost to counter that, however, Apocalyptica's instrumental pieces are among their heaviest and most grandiose yet. [Sep/Oct 2010, p.90]

Too many songs build and build and never explode, and though Keenan has never sounded growlier, Parole never really breaks loose.

In resurrecting their original sound, Filter get caught up in the same monotonous industrial atmosphere that kept Short Bus from being an essential album. [Sep/Oct 2010, p.92]

While the new sound may alienate a few old fans, Reign of Terror is a solid album that should win over just as many new converts.

Meandering and dirge-like, the eight songs here live up to the band's moniker, weaving slow and snaky through the album's 42 minutes and what we can only presume is a veritable wall of amplification. Tune in and nod out.

Overall, though, most of these covers sound disappointingly similar to the originals.