Eleven tracks of heavy metal excellence from the celebrated Norwegian sextet.
Welsh metallers’ fourth studio set falls some way short of expectations.
A superb sixth studio album from the envelope-pushing post-metal Swedes.
Mediocre and forgettable American rock, devoid of any bells or whistles.
Extraordinary enough to perhaps stand as this band’s greatest album yet.
The next excellent step for this ever-improving London band.
Superb ninth set from the Swedish gloom-metallers.
Yorkshire rockers deliver on all of the hype that’s been directed their way.
Thrash metal legends’ 10th album doesn’t quite match their previous highs.
A beautiful next step in the ongoing saga of Baroness.
A typically Gojiramazing new album from the French metallers.
A fine fifth album from the Brighton metallers, set to stand the test of time.
A subtle, often beautiful collaboration between two prog-metal heavyweights.
This sixth studio set might just be Buffalo hardcore crew ETID’s greatest album yet.
A stunning hardcore collection which will rank as one of 2012’s best.
An eminently listenable heavy metal album from the Richmond titans.
An album that every fan of extreme music should own.
Heritage will surely be seen as one of their most accomplished works.
It turns out that new Dream Theater sound much like old Dream Theater.
A brilliant seventh set from a band that gets better and better.
A fine debut from a British metal band with a great future.
The Swedish metallers explore a fresh sound on their 10th album.
Dallas Green’s third solo LP lacks bite enough to make it stand out.
Essex post-hardcore five-piece finally find themselves on album number two.
Watford four-piece punch above their weight on a solid second album.
Texan rapper rocks out with some pedigree punks on a fresh and vibrant debut LP.
A great fifth album from the revitalised Welsh rockers.
A sprawling prog-rock masterpiece from the Manchester trio.
Brighton metalcore band’s fourth LP in five years is packed with ambition.
Killswitch Engage alumni team up for a metalcore master class.
Enough confidence in their delivery to warrant some admirable comparisons.
This really is Oceansize at their most sumptuous, essential best.
They have mastered the art forms of suspense and climax.
Alaskan metallers get angrier than ever on their fifth studio album.
Young Guns continue their rise through the rock ranks with an assured debut album.
Finds former Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach in the form of his career.
Fever will raise the temperatures of metal fans across the globe.
The Welsh quartet finds themselves stuck between rock grit and pop melody.
The Surrey youngsters fail to establish their own pop-punk identity.
An album that is as accomplished as it is fiercely contemporary.
Stunning solos and overlapping vocals combine on a strong Swedish metal release.
Despite the most monumental of obstacles, this is an overwhelming success.
Debut albums of this ilk don’t come too much better
Thousands were rather pleased the trio eschewed further education
