Audioxide

A rock record produced like a dance record, with endless amounts of saturation and compression applied to, well, everything. This is a failed experiment.

An album caught in no-man’s land, its dozy stadium rock tunes neither advancing Kings of Leon’s sound nor recapturing the glory of their past.

There is a huge amount of musical and lyrical ingenuity to enjoy here, with strong messages, jovial piss takes, and Joe Talbot as the megaphoned town crier.

A sumptuously produced blend of folk, post-rock, and psychedelia, all with a smokey stoner sheen. When it gets rolling the grooves are irresistible.

The last word of a band with nothing left to prove, and it sounds like it. Exceptional without being seminal, but with some truly classic songs.

This album is a solid and grounded metal music offering with interesting vocal themes, expansive drums, and raucous riffs. Well worth a try.

To get the most out of the record, listeners must embrace the obscurity and relish the moments of discomfort; probing shadows in order to find answers.

The arrangements are expansive and diverse, with coarse guitars blending between the lines of timpani, bells, piano, and organ. Lots of organ.

A solid entry into the band's catalogue and certainly worth a listen. As to whether it'll stick around until the end of the year? I'm a lot less sure.

Foals’ experimentation with synths and funky instrumentals is bold, often promising, but the pieces never quite fall together.

It may not be the best in its class, but Toxicity still has a charm to it. The record is a worthwhile listen for turn of the century flavour metal.

Foals leaned into their restless, agitated, math-rock roots and carved out a niche in the mainstream indie rock of the time.

You should come out of a Marilyn Manson record wanting your stomach pumped. The softcore offerings of Heaven Upside Down prompt hand washing at best.

Doolittle balances boisterous oddness with sweet and sugary pop tunes, making it not only Pixies' most intriguing record, but also the most accessible.

Because of the Times is laudable record with a plethora of well written tracks, but it sits there with a mediocre comfortability, and does little to push or challenge.

Kendrick explores a multitude of personal predicaments, but it's difficult to stay focused on what the record is actually trying to convey. It feels incomplete.

Songs regularly start with promising grooves then go nowhere. Rhythmic repetition attempts to disguise a very obvious lack of development in ideas.

Riffs in giant proportions, subtleties hidden between the pedal switches, and Turner’s Sheffield charm in spades. Possibly Arctic Monkey's finest album.

Brimming with catchy vocal hooks and harmonious moments, Something Blue is a pleasant record, but its production leaves much to be desired.

Without sacrificing the brutality fans have come to expect from Deftones, Gore strikes a delightful balance. Perhaps the band's most accessible record to date.

Music took on new meaning this year. For many of us it was the only remedy; at times, a vital kickstart. New releases became sources of vigour and inspiration

This year has been... testing, to put it mildly. Music's magic has been a valuable support for many of us. Some would say essential. Here are the songs that kept us afloat.

It's the end of the year, and that means it's time for fond remembrances. From hip-hop to folk, and R&B to rock, here lies our favourite albums of 2017.

What would the end of the year be without some lists? Here lies our favourite singles of 2018.

It's the end of the year, and that means it's time for fond remembrances of the best bits. From hip-hop to folk to R&B to rock, here lies our favourite albums of 2017.

It's year's end, and that means it's time for fond remembrances. From lovesick shoegazing to rock epics, here lies our favourite singles of 2017.