Dark Roots offers shred-heavy political statements ("True American Hate"), hook-laden power-jags ("Native Blood"), and straight-up rippers ("Man Kills Mankind"), slipping only on slower material like the title track and quasi-ballad "Cold Embrace."

Russian Circles deliver seven glorious cuts of cinematic elegance and regal thunder. Not to mention what might be its best album yet.

On this solid, moving album, Wolves Like Us keep that tradition alive.

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

Bolstered further by very solid production, clever use of effects, and strong clean vocals, The Hollow is quite simply one of the best metalcore albums in a long time.

There's a real sense of hip-hop culture in the lyrics, and there's a sophistication in the way that the rap is made rock here-in other words, this isn't just whiney frat-boy rhymes slapped on top of generic, down-tuned riffs.

Apocalyptic Love is at heart a collection of lean, high-octane rock-and-roll tunes built to be blasted out of open-top sports cars or, more suitably, open-air stadiums.

Shone saws off a series of heaving, mechanized drones with names like “The Barge,” “Cauterize” and “Teething,” each a dizzying, pulsating and pounding exposition of man’s ultimate sonic collusion with machine.

In the end, Ultraviolet’s finest moments occur when Kylesa venture farthest from their proven strengths and step into the unknown.

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

All told, it’s a huge and defiant return.

Post-hardcore group Thursday's latest, No Devolución, is a grand experience, full of depth and atmospheric subtleties that show off a new side to the group.

Fans already won over by Egypt Central's previous record will recognize the band's original sound here, and new listeners will be taken a wild ride to a strange, dark wonderland and back. Follow the White Rabbit.

Frontman King Buzzo's guitar is searingly loud and untethered to studio tricks, more weapon than instrument, making 13 deadly songs even more venomous.

American Tragedy is wildly fun, a head-thumping, booze-chugging, 14 track-long hedonistic binge.

the Georgia-based quartet venture even further into their own by creating songs that are alternately bluesy, soulful and propulsive--and often all three. ... It’s rare to come across a band that can do so much so well.

Vintage-sounding yet definitely on its own trip, Dying Surfer Meets His Maker brings a sense of spiritual uplift to its mind-expanding sonic explorations, feeding your ears and soul simultaneously.

The tracks complement each other and build a cohesive piece of art. Between the Buried and Me are on a level of songwriting skill that few bands can hope to reach, and their new EP epitomizes the band's talent.

While Green’s falsetto is immediately distinctive, a pop-tinged ballad like “The Stutter Says a Lot” and the blazing screamo anthem “The Secret Meaning of Freedom” stand on their own as fully formed compositions. Second acts don’t usually sound this sweet.

From start to finish, Beast is a return to form for DevilDriver, delivering their patented mix of pummeling and soaring melodic death metal soaked in a healthy vat of groove.

As always, Fernow offers a challenge with his music. Those who accept it will be rewarded with an intensely vital listen.

This long-awaited solo project by Converge frontman Jacob Bannon is nothing like what fans would expect, and everything they could have hoped for.

Cleveland metallic-hardcore heavyweights Ringworm have delivered what should stand as their finest entry in their catalogue.

This sprawling set would not be the ideal introduction to Guided by Voices... but Suitcase does provide a fascinating chronicle of one man's lifelong love affair with songwriting. [#2, p.104]

In all, Wasting Light is almost a summation of where the band has been, as well as a convincing statement of why, nearly 20 years since they came together, Grohl & Co. are yet a force to be reckoned with, still influential and still relevant.

Wherever Tombs travel, they create evocative metallic nightmares most of their contemporaries only dream of crafting.

An evolution in sound from its debut album, Blues Pills serve up a masterful mix of soul and blues-rock that ferments into a tasty, tasty witches’ brew.

The songs here have every frequency not only covered but cranked to 11. That's a plus when the writing is equally heroic, as with "My Questions," "Born to Lose," or the stunning "Holdfast," but when the songs don't measure up melodically or thematically, as with the overly ornate "R.I.T.," the sonic heft only underscores the failings