With longer songs between their trademark short frenzied blasts, they maintain a clenched grip on how the ethos behind grassroots hardcore and the necessity of a modern punk fusion can mix effortlessly to create something truly special.

It’s a 43-minute blast of ingenious, future-proof rock, virtually flawless but from a band that--importantly--are still flawed like the rest of us. This is the best album you’ll hear this year and more significantly, it’s the most important rock album of the decade.

Make no mistake, Gira has his mojo back and Swans are very much alive.

Whitechapel are one of the best and downright annihilating bands their field.

From start to finish there’s almost nothing to fault here.

It's a consistently satisfying rock experience.

There is a welcome confidence throughout The Latest Fashion that Attack! Attack! have not previously shown and it's likely to propel this lot to great things.

A record that pushes the boundaries of post-rock to stratospheric new levels.

This Is War is passionate, rousing and astonishingly focused.

The results are shufflingly majestic, loaded with blissful truths and, it must be said, startlingly close to perfect.

It's a record that tells its own story, but its impact resonates far beyond.

The frantic, high-pitched vocals of old are still present and correct, but they're also tempered by frequent downbeat melodic refrains, echoing the likes of Nirvana more than, say, The Blood Brothers. Musically too, the band display a staggering diversity.

Put simply, this is another wonderful release from a brilliant band.

This record will reward repeat spins generously.

It’s an album dripping with class, craft, heart and soul and Deaf Havana’s most accomplished to date--a step out of their comfort zone and a step up in every regard.

Ferocious and beautiful--Funeral For A Friend sound more like themselves than they have done in years.

Crusty, jarring and still as acerbic as ever, this is Cancer Bats at their best.

For all those teens who grew up disgracefully with Taylor and Jim Root's other band, Audio Secrecy is the soundtrack to the rest of their lives.

The Poles’ most infectious work as it bristles with the best songs they’ve ever written.

Prior To The Fire will set the Canadians aside from their peers.

Like Wes Craven reanimating the slasher genre with the Scream franchise, The Black Dahlia Murder play with enough conviction and knowing reference to metal's most spectacular parlour tricks and add enough contemporary muscle to drop your jaw no matter your age.

Duality is a full-blown orchestral dance-pop masterpiece that will make you throw your arms in the air with glee, even if you think you should know better.

Featuring the classic, jagged and tar thick riffery and off-beat timing that have become Helmet's signature, Seeing Eye Dog is a great (especially re the vocals) and gritty listen.

This cements their position as one of the world’s most exciting, vital bands, and it’s unlikely you’ll hear many (if any) more impactful records in 2016.

48 minutes that will go down among the very best of this year.

This is an album of atmosphere, huge highs, crushing lows, melodies, crescendos and something entirely new that still sounds natural. Stunning.

The almost unbearably intense ‘Slowburn’ and ambient ‘My World’ are just two cuts of an album littered with highlights, meaning by the end of this 33-minute pummeling, you’ll only need one word: breathtaking.

Crisis Works is at base a heavy rock record, the likes of 'Twin Victory' an absolute whirlwind of crushing riffs. However, there are plenty of dynamics, tender moments and a definite through line of melody here too.