From the opening bars of guitar that start this album, you know you're gonna be in for a tough ride. A painful wall of distortion gives way to some uncompromisingly brutal screamo/Post-Hardcore music that will make you both shit your pants AND tear your bedroom yto pieces. The album maintains the muscular aggression throughout, coming across like an amalgam of The Locust and Orchid with a few ambient bits. And there lies the problem. The band are aggressive and chaotic to appeal to your average cooler-than-thou art wanker, but if you a fan of diversity then this isn't really for you. If you like chaotic, apocalyptic noise then this is most certainly for you.

This, the first single from Cursive's upcoming masterpiece 'The Ugly Organ' seems a drastic step away from the caustic Post-Hardcore of 'Domestica', perhaps due to the inclusion of a cellist in their newly revitalised ranks. The song begins with a steady Hi-Hat beat before morphing into a string laden folk-rock single of the highest order. Kasher is on form also, spitting lyrics such as 'Cut it out, your self inflicted pain, is getting too routine' with the bile and venom he always has. B-side 'Sinners Serenade' fares even better though, with it's quiet-loud dynamic and mournful lyrics working perfectly over the songs five minutes. A classic single from an underrated band.

Now lets get this straight. At The Gates are THE prime Death Metal band. Highly influential on many modern Metal bands(see; Arch Enemy, Decapitated) they eschewed everything that's great about the Gothenburg sound we know and love. This, the bands first ever recording, features the classic line-up Of Tomas, the Bjorler twins and current Cradle Of Filth drummer Adrian Erlandsson. It therefore has a good pedigree, so I was expecting some instantly brutal and cohesive Death Metal. This was not the case however as this record appears to be the bands most experimental and inaccessible work. 'Souls Of The Evil Departed' sounds a bit of a plod on first listen as does 'All Life Ends'. The EP improves with every listen though, and soon you'll find yourself headbanging you way through said tunes as well as noticing a brave young band, with a keen ear for melody and experimentation within their Death Metal barrage. 'City Of Screaming Statues' is the standout track here, with it's near jazz like bass tones and astounding vocal prowess courtesy of Tomas Lindberg. If you're a Metal fan with a penchant for all things extreme you can't afford to miss this. So what are you waiting for?

aahhh At The Drive-In eh? That old chestnut. Anyone discerning Rock fan with sense KNOWS that the bands final opus 'Relationship Of Command' is their finest, most cohesive work to date but this record comes a very close second. Making their intentions clear from the off with 'Alpha Centauri' all driving, intricate guitars and high pitched yelping courtesy of an on form Cedric Bixler, this record will warm the cockles of anyone who discovered the band during their late tenure with Major Labels. Just five minutes after the opener, 'Hulahoop Wounds' blissful melancholia is soothing your senses and nursing your wounds. This pattern continues throughout the album, showcasing a more melodic side to the band that was never really showcased on their afforementioned swansong. Tunes such as the dub infected 'A Devil Among The Tailors' and the rollicking 'pickpocket' are as much classics as 'One Armed Scissor' and 'Invalid Litter Dept' and really show a band growing into their own skin. The album finishes on a suitably chaotic high, with the fantastic 'Transatlantic Foe' assaulting your senses in the most pleasurable of ways. Classic. You betcha!