"Misfits" is a bit of a bland closer musically, but it's a sentiment that fits the album--and Shinedown--perfectly. [26 Sep 2015, p.51]

Jack White is a man you can depend on for a dirty groove and a greasy riff. Which he serves up amply here. [26 Sep 2015, p.53]

On this third album, his gnarly riffs and garage-level production are as unpolished and far-out as ever, but the element of surprise has turned into comforting familiarity. [5 Sep 2015, p.52]

This seventh album will take neither rock'n'roll's top prize nor its wooden spoon, but it's another decent arse-kicker. [22 Aug 2015, p.52]

Automatic is part boom, part bust. [8 Aug 2015, p.50]

Radkey's greatest strength is sounding urgent but never rushed. The greatest weakness is that they wear their influences like face tattoos. [22 Aug 2015, p.52]

Immortalized isn't without its duffers. [22 Aug 2015, p.51]

Fear Factory continue to make the future sound dark and dangerous. [1 Aug 2015, p.52]

It plays out like a sulking child trapped in the seat of a supermarket trolley. [18 Jul 2015, p.52]

They're suspended in an airy updraft of synths and clean guitar lines that are so '70s prog-rock they should be wearing a Rick Wakeman from Yes-styled cape. [27 Jun 2015, p.52]

There's nothing ambitious or monumental here but a tight 50 minutes of call-to-arms rage. [27 Jun 2015, p.52]

They might nod to the past, but Creepoid's present is plenty bright. [20 Jun 2015, p.52]

It's not perfect, but a once-a-decade check-in from Desaparecidos sounds perfectly acceptable to us. [20 Jun 2015, p.53]

Wolf Alice have a great album in them, it's just not this one. [20 Jun 2015, p.52]

Year Of The Hare might need multiple listens, but if you can spare the time, you just might uncover it's secret. [20 Jun 2015, p.52]

Every tracks leaves you wanting more (and not in a good way), and while Mates of State don't do anything wrong, they don't do much right, either. [6 Jun 2015, p.52]

It's not much of an evolution, but the revolutionary fire still burns. [6 Jun 2015, p.53]

There's no pushing at the boundaries, but this nevertheless shows Silverstein can still turn some of the things they touch to gold. [16 May 2015, p.54]

It's a distinctly mixed bag. [2 May 2015, p.52

It's claustrophobic and uneasy. [9 May 2015, p.53]

It's all proves Metz are poppy and punky, but they're also so squealing and Bleach-era Nirvana-heavy that you still need a sturdy ear to handle them. [2 May 2015, p.53]

As a way of rehabilitating his reputation, this is certainly a solid start. [28 Mar 2015, p.54]

While they haven't exactly stretched the boundaries of three chords, these Wyoming punks have crafted another 14 tracks of fearless fun here. [28 Mar 2015, p.54]

Just Like You is a good album, in that it contains many more good songs than bad ones. [21 Feb 2015, p.52]

When they're good, they are astounding, and almost impossible to adequately describe. When they miss the mark, though, this lot grate. [7 Mar 2015, p.54]

Most of it's the aural equivalent of a shoulder rub, but when it's good, it's very good indeed. [21 Mar 2015, p.54]

Nate and his crew are charming, more often than not. [7 Mar 2015, p.54]

There's nothing on the album that's going to suddenly turn them into queen bees again, but Alien Ant Farm here prove themselves to be an enterprise running on more than just the fumes of nostalgia. [14 Mar 2015, p.53]

There's a certain dumb fun attached to the gonzo country rock of Drinking Beer With Dad, but, in truth, we'd be lion to you if we said First Kiss was good. [14 Feb 2015, p.53]

It's an uneven album. [10 Jan 2015, p.53]

It's an often thrilling listen. [17 Jan 2015, p.52]

Million Miles An Hour is the kind of dumb, red-cup rock that only very clever people can write, while Get 'Em Up is the best song about erectile dysfunction (we think) ever written. [29 Nov 2014, p.52]

There are points at which this all feels a little hollow. [6 Dec 2014, p.52]

While World On Fire isn't the finest thing Slash has, or will ever, put his name to, it still shows an iconic talent doing what he does very well. [6 Sep 2014, p.52]

A little of their usual magic may have evaporated, but it's still a pleasure to hear these awkward buggers playing it straight. [22 Nov 2014, p.52]

It seems Punk Goes Pop has finally run its course. [22 Nov 2014, p.51]

Its unhurried pace is a drag at times, but should leave bands who repeat themselves with their pride punctured and their egos pricked. [22 Nov 2014, p.51]

It's dreamy stuff, but it's nothing on their 5K-rated, self-titled 2012 debut album. [15 Nov 2014, p.54]

IX isn't quite as boisterous as 2012's outstanding and raucous Lost Songs, but ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's subtle power still impresses. [8 Nov 2014, p.55]

While this retains their characteristic strangeness, you could argue it isn't the best use of their considerable talents. [8 Nov 2014, p.54]

The buzzsaw guitars and cheese-free hooks remain largely the same, but there's a passion and depth to these songs that really rolls back the years. [1 Nov 2014, p.53]

Its bleak, grungy soundscape doesn't always hit, but when it does, Mr. Lanegan is captivating. [18 Oct 2014, p.54]

The result is an album that quietly impresses rather than ramming you abruptly in the sternum. [18 Oct 2014, p.53]

This album lacks that crucial edge to make it essential, but these Bots still know how to kick up a decent noise. [11 Oct 2014, p.53]

It's all business as usual for Exodus, but business is still good. [11 Oct 2014, p.53]

While there is nothing to rival the classic Step Down, it's hard to argue with the punch SOIA still pack. [4 Oct 2014, p.54]

Here Finch seem like a band unpausing rather than pressing into new territory, This is therefore a somewhat confused oblivion. [27 Sep 2014,p.53]

Siren Charms is decent enough, but it's so by-the-numbers it could have been written on a calculator. [6 Sep 2014, p.54]

Sonically, it's perfect, but American Hi-Fi lack the songwriting genius f Rivers Cuomo or Dave Grohl that would nudge American Hi-Fi from being good to great. [20 Sep 2014, p.53]

All the standard atmospheric touchstones get brushed aside here in favour of a deeper, more meditative experience. [20 Sep 2014, p.53]

Greetings From California is an album that shines a light on The Madden Brothers' mature side. [13 Sep 2014, p.53]

Even in the absence of the drum machines and sonic complexity of old, Esben And The Witch have the capacity to be seriously trippy. [23 Aug 2014, p.53]

Sure, it's hard to tell some of the more sombre tracks apart, but if it's complex, squishy emotions you're after, Maybeshewill are definitely speaking your language. [16 Aug 2014, p.54]

Wovenwar lack a bit of bite. [26 Jul 2014, p.52]

Expect to get sonically clobbered. Expect big things from Capture The Crown just down the line. [2 Aug 2014, p.54]

Some people may find this outdated, but it's an absolute treasure chest for slavish fans. [19 Jul 2014, p.53]

It's effective if unspectacular, but it's the lyrics that turn this into something special. [5 Jul 2014, p.54]

Although everything is rendered with a high-shine gloss and sanitised precision that makes it more saccharine than Sex Pistols, there's still an enjoyment to be had on a basic level. [5 Jul 2014, p.53]

What we're left with is an overlong, quietly ominous strumming set showcasing his twisted genius. [14 Jun 2014, p.55]

Boris often sound like they're fashioning a facsimile of a style rather than engaging with it fully. [14 Jun 2014, p.53]

While there are flashes of exceptional power and invention on offer, there is also a fair share of nondescript greyness, too. [14 Jun 2014, p.52]

Eyehategod are growing old disgracefully, and they're all the better for it. [24 May 2014, p.54]

While they're no Tool, there's also a little something for the more cerebral of listeners. [7 Jun 2014, p.53]

Cheap Girls aren't the most original band around, but they rock in all the right places. [10 May 2014, p.54]

While their towering riffs and melodies at times bring Korn to mind, they bring back some of the furiousness of their earlier records here. [19 Apr 2014, p.54]

The dreamy Cali-sound is easy to get lost in, but Seahaven takes you somewhere you won't actually mind being stranded. [22 Mar 2014, p.53]

This side of Chuck won't change your life, but it will certainly twang your heartstrings for half an hour. [22 Mar 2014, p.55]

It's hardly challenging, but Himalayan is nevertheless another goal for for Band of Skulls. [22 Mar 2014, p.54]

It's good--at times with shades of greatness--but it's not, by any means, the best they've ever done. [22 Mar 2014, p.52]

His verge-of-a-breakdown vocals are as affecting as ever here, but there are times when he sounds not only upbeat, but downright perky. [22 Mar 2014, p.53]

By the time you get to No Secrets halfway through, you may be wanting something a little different. But for a late-night album, Mirrors The Sky does the trick. [15 Mar 2014, p.54]

The album just needs a standout moment among Blood Red Shoes' moods to make these songs genuinely memorable. [1 Mar 2014, p.54]

Black Soul Choir isn't exactly a sing-along classic, but it's a slow grower. [15 Feb 2014, p.55]

This painstaking revival of past glories is every inch a labour of love. [22 Feb 2014, p.54]

There's loads to admire here--but plenty to test your patience, too. [11 Jan 2014, p.54]

This is a collection of classic covers and reimaginings if Primus gems done country-style. [25 Jan 2014, p.54]

Good in the dark on headphones, but it's not going to get the party started. [25 Jan 2014, p.54]

Beyond the admittedly impressive riffing, the rest of what's on offer is perfunctory. [14 Dec 2013, p.60]

The end result is excellent in places, but easier to admire than endure. [21 Dec 2013, p.69]

They're the latest addition to an emerging new breed of post-hardcore acts that are deliberate, delicate, messy and aggressive all at once. [21 Dec 2013, p.70]

Wonderfully inessential as anything off their 2012 full-length, Self Entitled. [7 Dec 2013, p.54]

For its first half, Life, Love & Hope plays to Boston's strengths.... Sadly, from the insipid If You Were In Love onwards, the album loses its way catastrophically. [7 Dec 2013, p.53]

The downside is some songs stop and start abruptly, all dusted with Weiss' preferred up-and-down vocal melody. [2 Nov 2013, p.54]

Too many other songs fall victim to the eternal curse of the remix album: either going too far or not far enough. [26 Oct 2013, p.52]

The band's imperial phase might be long behind them, but MM-heads will gladly join this Last patrol. [19 Oct 2013, p.54]

An album that proves that Trivium have much life in them yet. [12 Oct 2013, p.51]

Too many songs utilise the same plodding, mid-paced grooves and simple, one-line refrains. [5 Oct 2013, p.54]

Bed & Bugs is an erratic and abrasive effort that'll delight those who prefer their rock to wander without a map. [21 Sep 2013, p.54]

This is straight-up post-hardore. [14 Sep 2013, p.53]

What sounds beautiful one minute can be unwieldy the next, as everything hazes together. [7 Sep 2013, p.52]

It might attract a few Mumford fans, but if you prefer Yellowcard to sound like, well, Yellowcard, stick to the original. [10 Aug 2013, p.55]

It's probably Iwrestledabearonce's most accessible album. For former lovers, though, they seem a couple notches low on the batshit-crazy scale here. [10 Aug 2013, p.53]

As a stopgap EP this might not be the best introduction to their brilliance. [27 Jul 2013, p.53]

In the end the feeling is that Scorpion Child are playing slightly-above-par Saturday night pub rock, and that's all. [20 Jul 2013, p.53]

Perhaps more a flight of fancy than a labour of love, this is still a striking offering from the Transplants. [29 Jun 2013, p.54]

This feels more like a collection of songs than a coherent album. That said, it's still the best album to bear the Queensryche name in years. [29 Jun 2013, p.55]

Accomplished but a little safe, perhaps, Palms is nevertheless an intriguing project worthy of a sequel. [22 Jun 2013, p.52]

Deceiver Of the Gods is bold, manly metal with a beard, a beer belly and a big old cry to it. [22 Jun 2013, p.51]