Gregory Heaney

The album can feel a bit erratic and unsettled, as if the listener is only catching glimpses at sketches of songs rather than fully fleshed-out compositions.

By anchoring Glass Boys to the real world Fucked Up have made an album that reveals things not only about themselves, but about punk rock as a whole, and in the process have made a record that may very well be their masterwork.

While there isn't much separating Rented World from the Menzingers' sophomore effort musically, there's a contemplative aura surrounding the songs that shows all of the hallmarks of a band growing into more nuanced and capable songwriters

Although The Long Goodbye: Live at Madison Square Garden isn't LCD Soundsystem's only live recording, it is easily their most definitive.

On All You Can Eat, the fourth outing from the comedy rock quartet, the band continues to dig deep into its musical bag of tricks, delivering a spot-on homage to the grime and glam of Los Angeles' storied metal scene.

Skaters' knack for writing infectious melodies often offsets their enthusiasm, so although Manhattan is an uneven record, its bright spots still have capacity to shine like Times Square.

††† is a solid effort that stands on its own merit rather than simply cruising on the cultural cache of its members.

Ten albums into their career, Polish death metal stalwarts Behemoth might not have anything to prove, but that certainly isn't stopping them from trying, as evidenced by The Satanist.

Fortress is a driving album that not only doesn't feel tired or stale, but is a monster of an album that makes a pretty solid case for being some of Alter Bridge's strongest and most dynamic work to date.

Aside from the general feeling of freedom, Common Courtesy once again puts the band's talent on display, showing off their impressive versatility as musicians and songwriters as they casually drift from punishing metalcore breakdowns to singalong choruses on songs like "Dead & Buried."

Although it's clear that their infectious, single-heavy debut was no accident, the more experimental aspect of MGMT seems to be their dominant side.

Prince Avalanche is a beautifully subtle and introspective score that highlights the strong points of its composers while serving the needs of the film it was written for.

While Kveikur isn't a complete reinvention of their sound, it's the kind of palette shift that shows just how versatile and creative Sigur Rós can be.