Humanist finds former Exit Calm man Rob Marshall crafting a brooding songbook fuelled by echoing post-punk guitars, steely beats and electronic embellishments.

The music itself is minimalist, but still manages to conjure an intense darkness, aided by the haunting drawl of guitarist Reid Bateh. [15 Feb 2020, p.55]

Frontman Tyler Connolly spends a little less time moping than previously, and throws in subjects such as domestic violence, racism and politics, but when the musical backing is this over-polished and ultimately mundane, it’s hard to care what he’s singing about.

Finding new ways to bring the heavy. [1 Feb 2020, p.55]

10 tracks that are easily the weirdest, the boldest and – yes – most powerful material that the group have stuck their name on.

Occasionally, Thin Mind lacks the energy to truly achieve lift off, but maturity has given Wolf Parade room to roam. [11 Jan 2020, p.57]

As ever, the line between sincerity and mawkishness is down to the ear of the beholder, but maturity is creeping into Beach Slang’s songs of eternal punk rock youth, and here their bleeding heart is in the right place.

While it’s not a classic of the Corgan canon, it does feel like he’s enjoying himself immensely doing it. And we’re happy enough to hear that. [7 Dec 2019, p.53]

Get The Money might not set the world ablaze like the rock bands to which it is clearly indebted, but it sounds like Taylor burning one while rocking on. Which means there’s still plenty here to put a smile on your face.

While Daemon is not without its evil edge, there's a bounciness to it that makes it an interesting and, oddly, occasionally fun listen. [2 Nov 2019, p.55]

It's a pleasant enough record, but not one that will rouse or inspire beyond Dallas' already charmed following. [12 Oct 2019, p.55]

Eccentric in all the right ways, No Home Record is just poppy enough to be accessible, yet edgy enough to satisfy even the pickiest of old school noise-rock fans. [12 Oct 2019, p.55]

It’s a good album, though not an Opeth classic. It occasionally meanders and feels in need of a few more truly golden moments to tie its various eccentricities together into a brilliant whole.

Corpse Flower is an album for completists. [15 Sep 2019, p.55]

As good as Heavy Fire? Nope, but it's another superb shot of classic-spirited heavy rock from masters of their craft. [7 Sep 2019, p.55]

Coming in cold, it’s another Killswitch Engage album – metal that punches and screams with an effectiveness and accuracy of attack that is ingrained from experts in their field doing their thing for a long time. But in knowing the journey of its creation, it gains a character and a level of emotion that would otherwise be absent.

Volbeat still sound like a band desperately searching for an identity to call their own. [3 Aug 2019, p.59]

When it works, as it does particularly well on Should've and Doesn't Matter, the results are impressive. But Throughout, Falling is Never less than commendable. [27 Jul 2019, p.57]

The results will mostly appeal to completists. [13 Jul 2019, p.73]

Charming, likeable collection. [29 Jun 2019, p.56]

A powerful, if not quite life-changing set of songs. [8 Jun 2019, p.55]

When Rise is good, it's a blast. However, like the boozy gang from which they take their name, there's a tendency toward excess. [22 Jun 2019, p.59]

Admittedly, the single-minded focus does get a bit repetitive, but Optimal Lifestyles makes for a defiantly fizzy soundtrack to growing old disgracefully. [6 Apr 2019, p.71]

The quartet take songs that are not always wholly divorced from pop music and turn them into something weird and wild. [23 Mar 2019, p.55]

It's a sideways step for this pair, then, but not so much a complete mutation as trying on a new, synth-tastic set of clothes. [16 Mar 2019, p.55]

It feels like there's not much tread left on the tyres, although the speaker-thumping production of Hexed make it a cut above 2015's I Worship Chaos. [9 Mar 2019, p.55]

On tracks like Can't Knock The Hustle, Piece Of Cake and High As A Kite, the smartness and deceptive simplicity is lost under a wash of electronic beats and un-catchy melodies. ... They sound boring. [23 Feb 2019, p.54]

They might not always move in straight lines, but as odd as Spielbergs can sometimes seem, they're also capable of great things with whatever they fancy turning their hands to. [2 Feb 2019, p.55]