It's quite good.

Some of the live tracks on here are a little scratchy sounding but re-worked versions of ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘The Queen Of Lower Chelsea’ quieten any simmering cynicism about the point of this record.

While forward movement isn't a prerequisite of greatness, Unearth have moved sideways with only partial success.

Despite its more slippery moments, Underworld finds Tonight Alive honing in on and owning their identity again; and given the bigger picture, taking a huge step in the right direction.

It does mean that their eponymous third release for Thrill Jockey can be rather prosaically boiled down to: if you like whooshy spacerock, you’ll like this.

Eschewing their hard-edged, rockier side, the Pennsylvania five-piece have cultivated 40-plus minutes of intense but dreamy atmosphere on Light We Made.

A solid if not spectacular release from the king of wail.

This is the sound of a band re-discovering the aggression that made them so great in the first place, and applying it ably to their new template.

If there's criticism, it's that Nightmare still falls back on cliches, building with aggressive force to then rely on a safe melodic chorus. However, there's enough of a change to see A7X lash out beyond their core sound, making Nightmare their greatest achievement to date.

At times the results are exhilarating, as on the superb ‘Moth Into Flame’ and doomy death-march of ‘Confusion’--written from the perspective of a soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder--but there’s a smattering of filler, too. Too many tracks outstay their welcome by a matter of minutes.

The Hammer Horror synths still jar at times and there are few surprises for long-time fans, but aside from that this is, like its self-titled predecessor, an impressive effort.

Though it doesn’t boast the bounce, style or solid gold hooks that we’ve come to expect from this lot, it’s the raw honesty found on There’s Nothing With Me that exhibits a level of songwriting and maturity that’s slowly pushing them ahead of their peers.

While achingly sincere rock bands aren’t hard to come by these days, Fatherson have more than enough melodic nous to get listeners invested.

It's not to say Time For Annihilation isn't very good, just if you like Pink and other commercial rock, you're going to love this.

Their sound, now more than ever, is a paradox: despite the Cure-ish grey waves of guitar and Spencer Krug's morose vocal tics, Wolf Parade can't conceal the fact that being in a band is clearly terrific fun for them.

Lyrics largely consist of nostalgic references, in-jokes and arch observations, but with a bummed-out charm that invites rather than excludes. If you’ve played the classics to death and want a fresh fix, this is among the best of the new breed’s offerings.

This is a brilliant collaboration between two of the most inventive musicians of recent times.

Replete with ramshackle tales of bar brawls (‘I Had A Hat’) and barely scraping by (‘Sandlot’), this ninth album feels warm and familiar--but there’s more beneath the surface.

A sterling second outing shot through with the admirable spirit of never tapping out.

It's hard to fathom how Bardo Pond have made their life-in-a-lava-lamp jams for the best part of 20 years with--we're assuming--their marbles still intact, but here they are, bubbling away with no sign of letting the quality dip.

Is ninth record ‘Everything Will Be Alright In The End’ in the same league as 1994’s Blue Album or its follow up ‘Pinkerton’? Not quite, but it gives it a good go.

Relentless Reckless Forever, the band's seventh album, is more of the same but faster and stronger.

The downside is they’ve lost a little of their trademark lo-fi fuzz, but singer Mariel Loveland’s lyrics stand out as more succinct and immediate this time around.

It lasts about two days, though, and even though the likes of 'Four Score And Seven' and 'To Old Friends And New' hum with energy and shoutalong choruses a little restraint would've worked wonders. An above-average Titus record is worth a dozen imitators, though.

Packed with ragged, neurotic and enjoyably volatile punk rock, Parachutes picks up the baton from 2014’s ‘.STOMACHACHES.’ and runs it into new territory.

Provided you don't have an unreasonable dislike of melody, you'll enjoy the majority of tracks on this album. Even if that does make you feel a bit dirty.

In fact, with its consistently gorgeous delivery, Pulse is actually most reminiscent of French electronica pioneers Air. Go figure.

All Time Low's songs are more up-scale and better put-together on this record, and that takes some serious work.

This is his new project and, unsurprisingly, it’s brilliant.

The band’s mad formula is familiar now, but there’s still enough experimentation here to keep things interesting.

It adds up to another deft, mature and utterly addictive release.

Galloping metalcore anthem ‘You Want Me’ shows flashes of brilliance, too, but it’s difficult to escape the nagging feeling that their fourth record is the sound of a great band spreading themselves far too thinly.

This is a solid album, rife with brooding love metal and big choruses, but while this is HIM’s most accessible album to date it’s also the most unpalatable, as Ville takes one step too many towards self-satire.

The band’s most mainstream offering yet and first for their major label home.

The Texas crew have created a piece of art that probes into what it means to love and be loved with real intent and passion. If you’ve slept on this band up until now, it’s time to change that.

While this may not be the straight-up punk that fans of 2012’s ‘Two Year Plan’ know and love, Such Gold are showing a thirst for progression, and that’s not something to be sniffed at.

What makes Zeroes QC so satisfying is the way in which they've warped and perverted their electronic base.

So is it any good? Does it matter? Limp Bizkit are bigger than ever before so getcha groove on, stop taking things seriously.

It’s very much the work of a band who are still capable of delivering the goods even after 17 years, while showing the fresh-faced up and comers a thing or two.

All the songs here are concise and to-the-point.

Admittedly, some riffs do feel like re-runs of Korn classics, holding the album back from true greatness. That’s charming in itself, though: reminding us how deeply important this band once were and continue to be.

A blend of electronic beats, keyboard-heavy dance grooves and hip-shaking pop underpinned by distorted guitar lines, this is funky and enjoyable stuff.

Root For Ruin is a worthy continuation of their oeuvre, and a better album than 07's "Let's Stay Friends."

Famously chaotic musical magpies Dana Janssen, Seth Olinsky and Miles Seaton have outdone themselves here in concocting an album almost as enigmatic as its title.

Songs For Singles is unmistakably a Torche record; primal, punishing, yet irresistibly sweet. It may make a mockery of the traditional album format, but then again, would you expect anything less?

This eight-song effort serves as a breathless, panic-inducing assault on the senses; delivering A-grade riffs, punch-in-the-throat immediacy and more ass-kicking per second than many will be able to withstand.

As flashy as ever, the band have shaped their jumble of ideas into a more coherent, if eccentric whole.

Even if it doesn’t all hit the bullseye, at least they’ve dared to stray from the beaten path.

Ordinary Silence is light on gimmicks but big on heart.

All your usual horror and metal needs are catered for, although according to Wednesday 13 the lyrics are more personal this time round.

The Massachusetts five-piece don't hit as many compositional peaks as predecessor Overcome, although tracks like Hold On and The Last Time bridge the gap considerably.

If you're checking out their fifth album to discover groundbreaking, controversial new music, you are a strange individual indeed.

Starting off pleasant but eventually becoming a regular stereo occupier, the grungier second half of this release is the better half.

Ixora is an impressive revival that shows there’s life in these stalwarts yet.

While the majority of tracks like ‘FML’ and ‘The Weigh Down’ continue in a similar vein, with crushing slabs of aggression offset by sing-from-the-rooftops choruses, the Aussies venture into less formulaic territory with ‘Forest Fire’ and ‘Give It All’, allowing Let The Ocean Take Me to work out its own identity.

It'll probably help if you're on mushrooms, but nevertheless this is quite something.

Though occasionally difficult to digest, 'Harakiri' is nevertheless a worthwhile and intriguing listen.

The Fatal Feast might fall short of improvement, but for headbanging, whiplash-inducing chaos there are still few better than the Waste.

Although not original at all, ‘No Guts. No Glory’ is another strong, balls-out full-length from the brothers O’Keeffe and co.

Whether regaling us with an ode to a middle-aged prostitute or outlining their plans for solar domination, they're on fine form.

Although parts of the album’s lower key, electronica-laced back end get a little overawed by the grandeur of the project they accompany, for the most part this is Angels & Airwaves at their most ballsy and creative.

An honest & emotional record.

Being such an influential rock drummer, it's hard not to approach this expecting more of a crossover sound, but treat Travis Barker's debut like an eclectic hip-hop record and it won't disappoint.

While not everything works--‘Dorian’ goes nowhere in particular and the assorted amateurish synths on show grate on the nerves and feel like an afterthought--this is rarely less than compelling.

With each song bleeding seamlessly into the next, there's little relief from all the doom and gloom, but regardless, this remains another worthy addition to Harvey Milk's awkward oeuvre.

They're no longer a phenomenon; instead, Sum 41 have continued to mature into a rather good band.

Nothing groundbreaking, but sure to keep fans of the band happy.

There's no let-up, no pretty acoustic interludes, just full-on musical onslaught.

It’s album number three from Steel Panther and no surprise, it’s ridiculous spoof-splattered business as usual.

It's noticeably darker than '09s Attics To Eden, but they've strategically kept their arrangements succinct and tight to keep their signature catchiness.

While they continue down a more measured, accessible route--calling to mind everyone from The Clash to Rancid--there’s a freshness to the anarchy this time. Here’s a welcome beacon of hope.

It's all good fun and makes the most of its human components, but there isn't much here that emerges as truly awe-inspiring or anything else other than a jolly good jam between chums. Of course, if that's all that's needed for Apocalyptica to remain among Finland's most popular imports, then for now, at least, it's still job done.

TIHTWS is the sound of band who know what they are good at and are good at what they know, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The brutality of the breakdowns and throat-cutting growls are balanced by infectious melody and clean vocals, offering possibly their most complete package yet.

More industrial than 08's Anthems For The Damned, this fifth effort should slip them into that position.

Skillfully sketched melodies are their calling card and, while it has virtually no bite or cutting edge to speak of, there is enough craft and subtle depth here to warrant repeat listens.

The dweeb-core champs’ songs might as well come with a ‘kick me’ sign pinned to them, but the depth and quality of Holy Ghost is an exercise in kicking back and refusing to be defeated.

The production allows the introspective oddness of Soto’s lyrics to show through better, lending them a really likeable, stand-out character.

Old fans will lap Rescue up (and rightly so), but there's not much on offer here to entice fresh ears and gain new fans.

The resulting sound is one of wistful melancholia, designed for dark rooms, loud headphones and the flickering feeling that while life can be shitty at times, there’s always a chance to find happiness.

With beautifully harmonised vocals sitting alongside pared-down guitar lines, their lyrical themes of love and loss will hit nerves you never knew you had.

No, this isn’t Weezer at their world-altering best, but it is the sound of a band who have at least re-opened the door to the cupboard where their magic formula is kept.

Whether it’s thrashier influences on ‘Silver Linings’ or lyrics that casually rip the piss out of their genre in ‘In Light Of Me’, it’s a refreshing listen.

Tracks can bleed into one another, but their ideas are finally finding focus. This is Wovenwar, but a whole lot meaner, louder and more driven.

This album is a fine introduction to one of the scene’s most exciting and original new bands. Keep an eye on this lot.

This record manages the remarkable feat of balancing true integrity with universal appeal.

There are moments, like the echoey, spacious ‘Dead Moon’, when things get eerie and alienated but more often they’re down-to-earth and bluesy, like they’ll stop playing when the beers arrive.

A Thousand Suns is a more experienced and experimental Linkin Park. You may not get it to begin with but persevere and you'll be rewarded.

TTNY show flashes of quality that are as good as pop-punk gets.

A disturbing but utterly all-consuming listen.

They’ve succeeded in making a devastatingly heavy record that, bar the odd predictable breakdown, manages to steer clear of deathcore clichés and sets them apart from their peers.

That the record spans their 15-year lifespan puts the kybosh on continuity a touch; see announcing your last song in the middle of an album. However, that’s generally overridden by sheer dumb fun within cuts like synth-drenched supermarket ode "Tesco V Sainsbury's".

Negative Qualities might be uncomfortable listening, but it’s also entrancing, from the scrawny punk rock jams to the Nirvana-esque ‘Feel Shame’ or the surprisingly tuneful late-’90s emo of ‘Money’.

Pure metal it ain’t. Pure fun, it sure is.

The Deth's 13th album (how'd you guess?) gravitates between classy thrashers and hokey anthemic rock with scorching guitar work and Mustaine's snarling voice expectedly leading the charge.

All in all, Set The World On Fire sounds a bit like a band having an identity crisis – the sound no longer matches the carefully-created image but the music's decent none the less.

You figure they should know what they're doing by now and the former members of JR Ewing and Amulet certainly illustrate their capabilities.

Granted, in the more ballady numbers such as 'All Or Nothing', things delve into slightly forgettable power-pop territory, but overall there is enough substance here to credit this as a decent debut effort.