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Dead Confederate's first record was a swirling, raucous mix of southern steel guitars and heavy rock sensibilities. 'The Rat' indicates that Georgia-based group haven't changed things too much.

The guitars are still as alternately sweet and throbbing as they have been, but 'The Rat' shows that the band has a great ear for melody, and an amazing ability to change up styles - and time signatures at the drop of a hat. READ THE FULL REVIEW BY CLARKE READER

The lead single of Alberta Cross' latest release – due November 23 from Ark Records – 'Taking Control' does exactly what the title says. It’s just over three minutes of fuzzy guitars, pounding drums and Petter Ericson Stakee’s wavering vocals howling like a broken man on his last leg. READ THE FULL REVIEW BY CLARKE READER

'Crash Love,' the eighth studio album from the punk/goth/rock band AFI, is one of the best albums of the year. These guys are masters of grandiose vocals, shrieking guitar solos and perfectly-executed gang vocals. It’s been almost three and a half years since AFI’s last studio album, 'DecemberUnderground,' but boy, was it worth the wait.

The first three tracks - 'Torch Song,' 'Beautiful Thieves,' and 'End Transmission' are absolutely killer, and perhaps the album’s best, but all the songs are gems, from the 1980s revival of 'Veronica Sawyer Smokes' to the guaranteed pit starter 'Cold Hands.' Lead singer Davey Havok’s voice gets better with every album, and the rest of the band has obviously been improving their skills as well. Every single track on the CD is worth a listen (or maybe a couple hundred). This album is energetic, epic and completely mosh-able, thank goodness. READ THE FULL REVIEW BY CHRISANNE GRISE

After a complicated journey to the venue involving a mix up with taxis and stumbling around a completely redeveloped university campu, I finally make it inside and find a decent spot to witness the music soon to begin. The stage goes dark momentarily; the darkness is replaced by blinding lights set in the deep recesses of the stage. Think football stadium floodlights, and then imagine a whole group of them in a very small venue, harsh and uncomfortable to look at is the only way to describe it. Fake Problems stroll onto the bright stage and immediately launch into their upbeat energetic songs.

READ THE FULL REVIEW BY TESSAY APPLEBY

Back in June we talked to Aiden guitarist Angel Ibarra about the new record and the recent troubles that the band have faced.

So, you guys are back with your new album ‘Knives,’ which you’ve described as a more back to basics, punk rock album - why did you decide to take this direction after Conviction?
With Conviction, we realised it wasn’t our style, it’s not what Aiden is. We’re still proud of it, we love it but Knives is more angry. Knives is angst and more punk which is what Aiden is.

Some of the tracks deal with dark subjects - why did you decide to approach these on Knives?
Alot of the songs are about personal struggles. The lyrics are about some dark stuff that is directly from WiL. The record is the most honest record he’s ever written, it’s a big fuck you to everyone else and everything he’s been through.

Alot of personal stuff went on for WiL before we made the record, which put him in a dark place and he used that as his main inspiration for the writing process.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ANGEL IBARRA

The second single from The A Train is gentle-hearted folk-pop with achingly earnest vocals. It’s the bittersweet sound of nostalgia, in a similar vein to The Gaslight Anthem, although with a softer, hazier edge. READ THE FULL REVIEW BY JESSICA THORNSBY

The most impressive thing about California’s Middle Class Rut, is the racket they can create with just two band members: drummer Sean Stockham and guitarist Zack Lopez.

‘All Walks Of Life’ isn’t the most varied of songs, but Middle Class Rut tread the ‘simple but effective’ route that’s becoming criminally overlooked in today’s attention-deficit music industry. A buzzsaw riff groaning back and forth across a knocking drumbeat, makes up the majority of ‘All Walks Of Life.’ A liberal helping of distortion helps to fill in the spaces between the drum and the guitar, ensuring Middle Class Rut sound remarkably like a ‘full’ band, rather than your typical White Stripes-esque twosome. READ THE FULL REVIEW BY JESSICA THORNSBY

Limozine frontman Dean’s habit of half-shouting, half-speaking his vocals, combined with his London town accent, gives ‘El Presidente’ something of a Brit-pop vibe, particularly during the chorus, where Dean’s splutters ricochet off twitchy, poppy “a-hey-hey-hey!” backing vocals. READ THE FULL REVIEW BY JESSICA THORNSBY

Since their sudden departure from their UK Riot tour the band have admitted to having to deal with a lot more than just the usual issues when it comes to producing a new record. Internal band problems and poor communications drove the band to the verge of breaking up and yet it was the music that ultimately brought them back together. The record truly reflects the inner band turmoil they’ve come through and their approach to life and relationships now. What’s even more wonderful is that they’ve pushed themselves musically as well as lyrically. The sound to this album is far more mature and reflects their changing tastes and boundaries as musicians. Produced by the industry icon Rob Cavallo, this album has taken the natural talents of the band and pushed them to their natural edge to get something different. READ THE FULL REVIEW BY LAURA HEATH