The second full-length offering from The Shine finds the Chuck Dukowski–approved Los Angeles skater/stoner-rock trio more or less picking up where their last album, 2012′s Primitive Blast, left off.

The second release from TBS’ reunited original lineup sees them getting their groove back.

Lyrical references to Charles Bukowski and Elizabeth Carter score egghead points, but the real smarts are in the taut and tight delivery of the 10 tracks.

Cynic’s shredders utilize their skills to construct great melodies and riffs, which often blossom into solid tunes that demand the listener’s attention.

Not the most fashionable influences, obviously, yet Digital Resistance feels more like real rebellion than a lot of modern metal.

It’s all the necessary B-adjectives–bludgeoning, brutal, burly--but it’s something else too; Bloodcurdling.

Like their spiritual and sonic forefathers in Khanate, Asunder, and Buried at Sea, their music is bleak, crushing, and decidedly off-kilter.

With Shelter, Alcest have abandoned bracing storm bursts, leaving a too monotonous calm.

Consistently hot, this should tide fans over until the next patrol arrives in, oh, 2016.

Calling the album a return to form does Skeletonwitch injustice, but the blackened thrashers definately sound rein quintet definitely sounds reinvigorated here.

Luckily, MLIW are excellent students and practitioners of the style [melodic post-hardcore that lurked on the outer edges of emo].

Aftershock is another worthy entry into Motörhead’s long discography, with 14 rollicking tracks of brawn, broads, and blazing riffs.

While the formula may sound intriguing, lackluster songwriting makes much of the record sound repetitive and uninspired.

Somehow, though, every song eventually leads to Myles Kennedy keening dramatically over guitar sturm und drang, and while that nicely showcase the band’s songwriting and instrumental skills, after a while it becomes predictable and monotonous.

Overall, Max & Co. keep things tasty on Savages.

Is Survived By isn’t all pit-fodder; the cinematic-sounding “Non Fiction” showcases a mastery of dynamics that’s equally as impressive as the heavy stuff.

TDWP's "sufferings" are modern-metal fans' "glory."

As eccentric as these tracks are, most of them wind up in a familiar place, with clean vocals ascending to growly, thundery choruses.

All in all, the record perfectly captures the band live–which, as anyone who saw them on this summer’s Mayhem Fest knows, is an experience in itself.

The record is exactly as advertised, despite three new members entering the lineup. Wrong has rarely sounded so right.

At times, this straightforward approach, along with a smoother production sound, strips the Massachusetts quartet of the nuanced breakdowns and guitar leads that made their previous material so captivating.

A 12-song set that went through a couple of permutations but still bristles with industrial-strength angst.

Our Own Masters delivers all the hairy, sweaty, twin-guitar insanity of their live shows, yet also contains some of their most unabashedly sophisticated moments.

Aptly named Queensrÿche, just like the band’s debut was titled 30 years ago, this album is a fresh new beginning of a revamped lineup that we will likely be hearing from for years to come.

A welcome return.

The Migration seems to wander a bit more than 2011’s focused and phenomenal The Collective, losing some steam by the last few tracks.

No one delivers big, punch-in-the-face motifs better than Amon Amarth, and the Swedish melodic-death-metal titans have excelled themselves on their ninth studio album.

TesseracT’s real strength is that they focus on the whole instead of getting bogged down with the intricacy of the parts.