The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A

One of two planned albums by the thrash metal legends, "The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A" is a fabulous outing with brutal, razor sharp guitar tones, thundering bass, fast-paced drums and emotional but aggressive howls. The title track is an epic 10-minute journey of the classic thrash metal genre, while "Iconoclasm", "The Garden of Bleeding" and "Bedlam 1-2-3" have a more modern bias that will delight any contemporary headbanger.

On the Net: "Iconoclasm"

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Sworn to a Great Divide

Soilwork (Nuclear Blast)

Although "Sworn to a Great Divide" is the Swedish death metal band's first album without the songwriting skills of Peter Wichers, Soilwork fans still have plenty to be happy about, with lots of aggressive riffs and memorable hooks enhancing all 11 melodic and catchy songs. Bjorn "Speed" Strid has a great voice that's equally suited to clean singing and screaming. The album opens with the excellent title track, which features a neo-classical solo. "Breeding Thorns", "I, Vermin", and "As the Sleeper Awakes" are more synch-led with hooky choruses.

On the Net: "Sworn to a Great Divide"

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Elect the Dead

Serj Tankian (Reprise Records)

Serj Tankian hasn't really departed from his "System of a Down" roots, sticking to repetitive rhythms, catchy guitar riffs and his trademark melodic vocals for his debut solo album "Elect the Dead". He also plays virtually everything on the set except for drums and strings. The album opens with "Empty Walls" with pulsing guitars and follows up with the alternative punk rock number "The Unthinking Majority" before pounding into hardcore on "Money". Other standouts are "Sky Is Over" and "Honking Antelope".

On the Net: "Empty Walls"

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I-Empire

Angels & Airwaves (Geffen)

The long-awaited second album from the California alternative rock band has received very mixed reviews but has sold well, with tracks "True Love" and "Everything's Magic", both catchy numbers with sing-song hooks, receiving a great deal of airplay. "Call To Arms" has a memorable, yearning chorus, and "Sirens" offers a tuneful punk melody. Other interesting numbers are "Love Like Rockets", "Lifeline" and "Rite of Spring".

On the Net: "Everything's Magic"

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by mr badboy