BIBLE OF THE DEVIL bring their own spinning and twisting to the vintage rock and roll heat wave taking over the scene in '012. With ''For The Love Of Thugs and Fools'', their sixth full-length to date in 13 years of existence, they daringly and proudly wave the flag of...

Sweden's HORISONT boldly fucking crush everything in their wake. ''Second Assault'' is one of those timeless and jaw-dropping vintage-sounding records that all generations of hard rock and metal fans are bound to learn from in terms of dizzyingly effective and endless displays of hook-induction. These guys bring back the vibe...

 TERAMAZE sure stand their ground in terms of meshing sophisticated and candid technical wildness with concrete and focused hook-laden catchiness. ''Anhedonia'' has its handful of pretty compact stunners corresponding to that type of blueprint that cats like Devin Townsend have been cementing into the worldwide scene. These guys take that...

Not that I didn't fully expect it, but ''Odalheim'' fully cements that one historical fact we all know well; UNLEASHED is an infatiguable band. ''As Yggdrasil Trembles'' was a mighty statement in terms of memorability with its handful of fairly addictive tracks and an anthemic spirit that's pretty fucking...

 There's no denying it; DAITRIBE is a ballistic band. The amount of groove and energy on ''Epochalypse A.D.'' is palpable, and that fuck-you 'tude pouring from each cut is bold enough to get just about any regular joe fired up and ready to throw shit across the room. It ain't...

Saying IMPIETY is a workaholic three-piece would be a radical under-statement. ''Ravage & Conquer'' is their eighth album to date (complete with a masterful, slashing-through-walls production, drum patterns that are one inhuman speed & precision combo, rhythm sections that simply bombard on very far past the outlines of rigid moldery,...