American Capitalist announces them as the world champions at post-Black album piledriving riffs and soaring, US radio-friendly melodies.

Psychic Babble's debut is proof that being chilled does not equate to being dull.

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

Five Serpent's Teeth is 100 per cent square in the Evile MO: twisted kinetic riffs from the Brothers Drake push the needle into the red before resolving themselves in anthemic choruses.

While the band set themselves up well on songs such as 'I Like Drugs' and 'Just Like Tiger Woods', the record does rely a little too much on no-brainer jokes about girls.

Their name might suggest one thing, but this lot are definitely not going around in circles; this is their best record yet.

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.

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.

It's good--really good--but only if you want it to be.

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

A fine new outing.

While it's not a groundbreaking redefinition of what metal should be, it's a firm statement of intent from the London-based quintet.

This is a superb record and WWPJ are one more example of just how spoilt we are by British rock music at the moment.

There is a sense of funk and bounce characterised by RATM on display here that gives the songs an underlying sense of conviction on top of Morello's already biting vocal approach.

Man Overboard have done a fine job of not only flying the flag high for DIY pop-punk, but also at emerging as the forerunners of the scene.

The album's extended title track take the catchier parts of their newer material (vocalist Chris Conley's infamous Beatles influences seem to mesh much better with their punk rock sound here), and then deliver it so tightly and concisely that it would be a total waste to rehash their glory days.

Chuck Ragan's third full-length solo release, oozes blue-collar charm.

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

Heritage is an infinitely more audacious beast, full of jazzy noodling, serpentine guitar leads, folky introspection and general acid-drenched freakiness.

As soulful and finely crafted as their debut of sorts, II is a glorious record.

Like every true outlaw before them, The Icarus Line haven't mellowed with age; they've gotten gnarlier.

The five-piece's dramatic Orient metal (their words) might not brace consistently but when it does it's unstoppable.

Pop sensibilities like these make some of the rhymes in the lyrics a bit predictable, but as they also result in choruses like those on 'The Joyride' and 'Circle Of Lies', it's forgivable.

On The Flood the transitions are so effortless, so seamless, that what emerges is a near-perfect example of how to marry potentially ill-fitting musical elements in stunningly effective fashion.

This preposterously technical mish-mash of progressive metal, full-throated hardcore, operatic female vocals and lounge jazz interludes triumphantly evidences a band taking an absurd amount of joy in kicking against the pricks.

It's far from easy listening but it's an approach that's won them legions of devoted fans in the process and comes close to reducing many of their peers to nothing more than musical footnotes in the larger scheme of things.

Production-wise, the vocals could do with sounding more 'live' (they are note perfect)--but the musicianship present is enough to justify the polish.

There is a welcome confidence throughout The Latest Fashion that Attack! Attack! have not previously shown and it's likely to propel this lot to great things.