Okereke's voice, whether against an early-90s down-tempo club beat or a rattling guitar, is ever-evolving and worth many listens. [Nov 2014, p.90]

More like sophomore triumph. [Nov 2014, p.94]

This is Godflesh at their coldest and most mechanistically assaultive. [Nov 2014. p,90]

With Reincarnate, Motionless In White have not only distilled the essence of their influences into an even darker cohesion, they’ve reanimated the creatively bankrupt corpse of industrial rock, disrupted the by-numbers routine of electronic-tinged metalcore and delivered furious rock songs with a widescreen presence that makes an IMAX theater feel like an iPad screen.

The raw sound of Stomachaches is just further proof that it all arrived from someplace honest and deeply personal. [Sep 2014, p.103]

There will always be casualties when musicians want to change but fans want them to stay the same. That doesn’t stop the Color Morale from adding plenty of pop choruses to their post-hardcore palate on Hold On Pain Ends, while keeping their metalcore tendencies, too.

Hesitant Alien has enough requisite cool and clamor to insure he stays both relevant and remarkably vibrant.

It's rad that Finch are back together sounding sharp, but the creative differences that led to this album being nearly a decade in the making remain apparent. [Oct 2014, p.100]

When they stick to the ’60s Cali Pop of the uplifting “We Are Done” and dreamy “California Rain,” they produce some remarkably winning songs worthy of van-loads of bearded, guitar-toting indie popsters aping the Beach Boys and the Mommas And The Papas. When they miss, though, it’s more unbearable than rush hour traffic on the 405.

The haze is fairly one-dimensional, but it's an engrossing path of melancholia. [Oct 2014, p.102]

Like Stay What You Are on steroids, it's a half-hour of instant gratification with paeans to overcoming romantic and introspective obstacles. [Oct 2014, p.101]

It means "Everything You Think You Know," "Smoking Kills," and "Day Man," while not bad, do feel slightly generic, which unfortunately diminishes the power of these well-intentioned, heart pounding songs. [Oct 2014, p.98]

Another Language is a step back in the right direction, engulfing the listener with effortless subtlety. [Oct 2014, p.101]

Blood & Lemonade is a good old-fashioned power-pop record bursting with rock-god guitar riffs, stacked harmonies and chugging tempos. [Oct 2014, p.96]

The results of this experiment is decidedly mixed. [Oct 2014, p.101]

The music the two make has taken a huge creative leap forward. [Oct 2014, p.100]

The larger flaw of This Is All Yours is the excessive studio ornamentation attached to songs like "Choice Kingdom" and "Hunger Of The Pine" that fails to cover up unbalanced, disjointed writing. [Oct 2014, p.96]

This self-titled album is a reflection of Adams’ continued growth as a songwriter, and is completely relatable to anyone who has managed to survive in a marriage--creative or otherwise--long past the honeymoon phase.

Code Orange are riveting, the nihilistic horror of the whole thing at times overwhelming in the best possible way. [Oct 2014, p.98]

It's lo-fi simplicity makes for a welcome addition to any CoCoRosie fan's collection. [Oct 2014, p.101]

If the songs blend together a bit, that's called a style, and Interpol have always had that on their side. [Oct 2014, p.100]

While their weird is very often wonderful, these 10 tracks are somewhat inconsistent. [Oct 2014, p.98]

The Physical World is a triumphant statement that the two musicians have moved forward artistically. [Oct 2014, p.97]

Alphaville's best moments tend to be its most deliberate and glammy. [Sep 2014, p.108]

At times some reining in might have been desirable, but 11 albums in, it’s hard to argue Opeth have earned the right to do whatever the hell they want.

Overtly confessional and cathartic, it's no wonder the pair have been held up as one of the main participants in the emo revival. [Sep 2014, p.106]

While the other material is good, these moments are great. [Sep 2014, p.104]

It all makes for a remarkable, incredibly moving piece of work. [Sep 2014, p.106]

Every aspect of The Resistance: Rise Of The Runaways coming across bigger, harder and just more than their full-length debut, 2012's The Fallout.

It's Tony Clark's throaty, understated vocals and the way they complement the textured melodies, that really make Kingfisher stand out. [Sep 2014, p.110]

The anthems still have Morrissey and Marr in their DNA, but they pout more than they roar. [Sep 2014, p.108]

Brill Bruisers leaves a lasting impression in the best possible way. [Sep 2014, p.108]

There are good cop/bad cop phrasing, well-placed electronic glitches and enough predictable, djent-ish riffing to keep the pit going. [Sep 2014, p.104]

The sixth studio album by the international power-metal squad largely makes the positive changes heard on 2012's The Power Within stick. [Sep 2014, p.106]

Though slightly dragging and formulaic at times, the melodies and arrangements are strong and memorable, stacking up against Mascis' previous solo releases. [Sep 2014, p.107]

At 17 songs, Manipulator is a psychedelic handful of kaleidoscopic visions for the post-Kurt Cobain world. [Sep 2014, p.110]

They drench Great Divide in both attitude and dirty fuzz, making for a record that draws from timeless arena rock while sounding fresh and new. [Sep 2014, p.110]

The album provides further evidence of Drozd's remarkable artistic growth since he took on a more active songwriting role starting with The Soft Bulletin. [Sep 2014, p.106]

As was true in those bygone days, the hippieish uplift can get a little fuzzy, but the bass-rattling jolt of "Buffalo" will clear your head--and fill the floor--fast. [Sep 2014, p.104]

The songs on Get Hurt do all the talking for him, loud and proud, crashing and bashing into the night, taking heartache and turning it into triumph. Pure rock ’n’ roll.

What Worlds never does is cohere in any appreciable way, stomping all over its finer moments with another synth glitterbomb and burdensome bass drop. [Sep 2014, p.107]

It's a solid first salvo from a band who clearly have the chops to make a serious stir. [Sep 2014, p.105]

Emptiness has rarely sounded so fulfilling. [Sep 2014, p.108]

Call it growing pains for a storied discography, but the result leaves the album feeling unbalanced around the gems and less rewarding over multiple listens. [Sep 2014, p.110]

Manslaughter is a ferocious, heavy record that proves once again that Ice-T and company are undeniable metal contenders, far more than a pop-cultural footnote.

It won’t satisfy the appetite of fans of the band that are salivating over the thought of a brand new album with Lindberg’s patented shout-sing back and leading the charge. But as a stopgap and look back at the band’s early years, Yesterdays is a rowdy Pennywise romp.

Gemini, Her Majesty is by and large a step back towards the fertile brilliance that rightfully gained Rx Bandits exposure in the early 2000s, recapturing the jubilant mix of styles they deployed with so much fresh aggression and poise.

Rather than try and move these songs into new territory, everyone involved seem hellbent on remaking Lewis into something closer to Sheryl Crow or Shania Twain. It’s a weird place for her to be in, yet one that she looks to be acclimating to quite easily.

Throughout, Campbell touches on one of his greatest lyrical strengths--his attention to detail--to bring scenes to life, while also being acutely aware of the underlying emotion and backstory just beyond the setting. It’s devastatingly effective.

The tunes are instantly likeable.... What's missing are the immediate hooks that today's competitors from Katy Perry to Marina And The Diamonds, use to claim Madonna's now-vacant throne. [Jul 2014, p.98]

As it stands, Lowborn isn't as good as Vital, but it still does an admirable job at continuing Anberlin's sonic expression. [Jul 2014, p.95]

Another ostensibly strong album in Joyce Manor's catalog, and one that hopefully doesn't go unfairly overshadowed as well.

As always, Loveland's eye for details elevates Candy Hearts' songs. [Jul 2014, p.100]

As the title suggests, REAL. is the genuine article.

The songwriting is daring yet tightly focused, catchy yet crushing, but executed with a level of skill that’s an obvious reflection of the band’s greater experience.

Whatever meaning you take from them, however, one thing remains solid--the sheer heart with which they were forged and the very visceral emotion they contain.

It may not have the continuity or cohesive potency of a Document #8 or City Of Caterpillar, but it's a pleasant rage like few others coming out and, when necessary, clearly shouts what it wants to be heard.

An exercise in simplicity, Free Will’s one critique is at times feeling too simple. Given enough time, though, and a quiet enough room, the beauty in the music comes through strong, and second listens let the lyrics ring truer.

You’re unlikely to hear a more earnest album than Bleachers' Strange Desire this year, nor are you apt to find a release more faithful to the spirit and sound of Top 40 radio in the late, great ’80s.

World Peace is a frustrating experience, moving too quickly between temperaments and overstaying its welcome by a good 20 minutes.

Braid have delivered a record as nuanced, vitalizing and brilliant as anything in their already storied back catalog, reemerging as strong as any of the numerous bands that have popped up to critical notice in their wake.

No one will argue 5 Seconds Of Summer is high art, but it ultimately works more often than it doesn’t. And, perhaps most important of all, it feels authentic.

This band may be close to two decades and seven albums in, but in these here Parts, Every Time I Die are coming out of the box like airborne wolverines lunging for the world’s carotid arteries.

Guitarist Brian Izzi is given room to throw in engaging staccato wrist flicks or caveman his way through a down-picked sequence while vocalist Ryan McKenney is able to focus on exorcising his demons without worrying about time and tempo changes. [Jul 2014, p.103]

Taken in one healthy, heroic dose, Typical System feels like a dazzling glimpse into the future of underground rock. [Jul 2014, p.102]

Chicago's The Atlas Moth have taken definite and deliberate steps to flesh out their wall of sound on album No. 3, accentuating their sludge roots with waves of psychedelic counterpoint. [Jul 2014, p.96]

They’re obviously still working out the kinks that come with stepping out of one’s comfort zone, but all in all Let The Ocean Take Me is an encouraging signpost that sees the Amity Affliction slowly tearing up the blueprint that drove their early works.

While dissonant noise is the main component of the duo's slacker shoegaze, hidden beneath those layers of distortion are some moments of melody. [Jul 2014, p.102]

What glosses over those small, weird choices is the collective strength and sense of purpose found here.

With a renewed, stripped-down focus, Fortune is some of their best stuff yet. [May 2014, p.88]

It starts off strong... While the slow chug of "Divide" and the somewhat MOR jangle of "Teen Rocket" might have worked better as B-sides, they get it spot-on with "Wnat Would You Do." [Jul 2014, p.102]

This is a farewell album, but the band are going out at full strength. [Jun 2014, p.104]

Ultimately, this is a forceful, headlong album with no ballads or restful interludes among its 10 tracks. [May 2014, p.91]

Cheap Girls’ songs blur together--hell, so do their albums--but it’s something to take a deeper look at.

Instead of burying their influences in a wall of sound on If Anything, Greys bring them right out into the open. [Jul 2014, p.98]

It's 22 minutes of thoughtful, intricately expressed vexation like never before. [Jul 2014, p.103]

Bemis may have grown up, but he's still a master at crafting poignant lyrics that take a sharp look at his fears of becoming irrelevant and thoughts about God. [Jul 2014, p.97]

The vocals are one of the duo's strongest points, but the entertaining and skillful guitar work is right up there, as is the songwriting dynamics and arrangement prowess. In other words, everything about this one is a winner.

Wait Barbarians is not an album for all moods and times of day. But for those calm, reflective moments that tend to arrive as dusk descends, this albums provides the ideal soundtrack. [Jul 2014, p.102]

Everything from the swirly, '90s guitars to the harmony-laced background vocals just scream a band gazing far beyond their genre trappings. [Jul 2014, p.102]

Somehow, this record sounds like it's skipping or running at the wrong speed, yet completely natural all the while. [Jul 2014, p.100]

The vocals are almost hilariously monotone, the lyrics loaded with crass, elementary rhymes, and the instrumentation is simply dreadful. [Jul 2014, p.98]

Lazaretto finds him simultaneously unbridled as a player, yet meticulous as both mad scientist and personal diarist.

All Osborne's vocal and instrumental hallmarks--including enigmatic lyrics and track titles--are in place, so it's not really a departure, but it's also too good to be shrugged off as for Melvins fans only. [Jul 2014, p.100]

Black Hours [is] loaded with familiar falsetto swoops, cutting middle range and observation mixed with self-reflection. [Jul 2014, p.98]

Score yet another triumph for a man whose legend continues to grow. [Jul 2014, p.98]

The connecting factor between the songs is the laconic, melancholy spirit Margot have perfected. At times the weight can feel too heavy and risk putting the listener into a lull.

Easy Pain reminds you how horrible the world can be, as well as the catharsis you can achieve if you'd only just immerse yourself in the maelstrom. [Jun 2014, p.111]

It's still familiar emotional portraiture, but these scenes often appear through a high-powered telescope instead of a magnifying glass. [Jun 2014, p.106]

For now, it just comes off like an unnecessary retreat.

Where the band struggle is writing memorable tunes. [May 2014, p.91]

Flies In All directions is a pleasing, grand buffet for Weatherbox fans. [Jun 2014, p.108]

With Our Endless War, the band have shown they have more than enough skills, and they finally have enough ideas; it's time for them to take the plunge, break through deathcore's confines, and become the band they could be.

These six songs are louder, faster and heavier than the first EP. [Jun 2014, p.105]

While often only feeling like baby steps forward from Cokefloat!, YCF's determined traces of progress makes it a very worthy successor. [Jun 2014, p.110]

With repeated exposure it becomes clear that these songs belong together, adding an extra dimension to the record, and those who to succumb to its charms could ask for nothing more.

Had these songs been released a decade ago, they'd be a sensation. Today? Nah. [Jun 2014, p.105]

Everyday issues like self-doubt and frustration weave their way through Christmas Island, but the album's prominent theme is also it's darkest: the death of Bonnette's grandfather [Jun 2014, p.107]