Rating: 4/5
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“Volume II” sticks to a tried-and-true formula that should appeal to fans of (tomb?)stoner metal, but must remember that it’s easy to fall into a pattern of lighting up the mind and then flickering out in the wind.

Rating: 4/5
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On “Valley of Smoke”, Intronaut expand upon the sound they introduced on “Void” and honed meticulously on “Prehistoricsms”. They are a band to watch, and if you enjoy Baroness, Mastodon and Isis, you should also check out Intronaut.

Rating: 3/5
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I imagine the end desire to be cathartic and empowering, but when translated to music, their experiences didn’t speak to me.

Rating: 4/5
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In the ten years since “Dopethrone”, it’s hard to believe few similar bands have emerged. Maybe the revolution has been delayed, as Adrift for Days slowly floated over from their Australian homeland. Well they’ve landed, and I know I’ll be spinning “The Lunar Maria” for a while.

Rating: 3.5/5
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I’m not gonna tell you that “Beyond Hell/Above Heaven” is a bad album, because it’s not. But as a Volbeat convert, I can confidently say that this would not win over detractors.

Rating: 4/5
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Royal Thunder is tough yet tender, like a good jerky, and every bit as savory (perhaps venison, judging by the antlers on the cover). The Peach State again proves a solid source for 21st-century heaviness. This should keep your tongues wagging until their LP drops later in 2011.

Rating: 3.5/5
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DarkBlack are one of those bands you truly like, but are not jean-creamers. Give all of “Midnight Wraith” a listen, because there is little wrong with any of these five songs.

Rating: 1.5/5
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Mind Over Metal Limerick 10

Rating: 3.5/5
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Despite the ostensibly “light” nature of the music, the subject matter feels darker, with an emanating aura of death. This makes sense since Elysium is, after all, a region of the underworld.

Rating: 4/5
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While “The Golden Bough” may not be the magnum opus of Atlantean Kodex, few bands are this strong right out of the gate, and I welcome their destined journeys.