Sometimes overlooked by public and critics alike (though never American radio), this best-of confirms Thin Lizzy as one of rock's greats. Their string of hits, including the wonderful "Dancing in the Moonlight", "The Boys Are Back in Town" and "Jailbreak" remain classic music. The band deserve a place in the pantheon of Irish greats alongside U2, Van Morrison and the Cranberries. Thin Lizzy were very firmly a good-time group, perhaps strange for a bunch that emerged from both sides of Ireland in a troubled time. But with Phil Lynott's excellent vocals over heavy guitar riffs they never failed to give value for money. This is raucous hell-raising music that straddles, in leather star-spangled pants, 70s monster rock and 80s punk. The live versions are a testament to the band's fantastic live power. On stage they were in their element, spitting, fighting, shouting and singing. There's also a tinge of sadness under Thin Lizzy's feelgood, ready-for-a-rumble stomp. This was confirmed when Lynott died from a drugs overdose two years after the band folded. [+]

There's absolutely nothing subliminal about Slipknot's third album, Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses). No, the anger and frustration is pretty much at the forefront throughout the 14 tracks here. But this isn't just blind rage on display-the nine masked men of Slipknot sound more focused than ever, all because they manage to broaden their sound. Best of all, they display a profound awareness of hard rock's heritage and their place within it (helped in no small part by the direction of legendary producer Rick Rubin). Vol. 3 has hints of Slayer's speed metal (right down to the double-time guitar solo in "Welcome") and Nine Inch Nails' sweeping and meticulously-constructed epics (and, in particular, The Downward Spiral). They even show that they're capable of exercising restraint, applying a delicate touch to the string-laden "Circle" and the piano and acoustic-guitar-led "Vermilion Pt. 2". Mostly, though, Vol. [+]

Also known as the "rune" album because of the medieval symbols adorning its cover, Led Zeppelin's fourth album, released in 1971, turned them from mere superstars into giant behemoths of the rock world. On tracks like "Black Dog", "Misty Mountain Hop", and "Rock and Roll", the combination of Robert Plant's banshee wails and Jimmy Page's frenetic guitar playing forever altered the stylistic bent of hard rock music. And the foreboding "When the Levee Breaks" demonstrated that Zeppelin could indeed play the blues fairly straight if they so desired. Still, everything here ultimately took a back seat to the album's (and, ultimately, the band's) magnum opus-the expertly constructed and deftly executed classic, "Stairway to Heaven". -Billy Altman.

Those frustrated by metal's alleged role in the dumbing-down of popular music should be forced to listen to Toxicity, the superb second album by System of a Down. Raising the bar for an entire generation of metalheads, Toxicity is an album as clever as it is loud. Weaving together influences as diverse as the dark thrash of Slayer, the ranting political frustration of the Dead Kennedys, the melodic alternative metal of Faith No More and the Eastern European music of their heritage (the four band members all have Armenian roots), this is an album unlike any other-with the possible exception of their own debut. Erratic time changes and staccato riffs are complemented by vocalist Serj Tankian's outstanding voice, which can switch from a high-pitched nasal warble to the darkest of metal growls instantly. Even the songs themselves set System of a Down apart from their nu-metal peers, running the gamut from socio-political themes ("Prison", "Deer Dance") to social observations ("Needles") to cocaine-addled groupies ("Psycho"). And, lest all this seriousness get a bit much, SOAD demonstrate their wittier side on "Bounce", while the three-and-a-half-minute epic "Chop Suey!" is the cleverest metal single heard since Faith No More decided to call it quits. Infact, like FNM's rightly regarded classic Angel Dust, Toxicity marks a major step forward not just for a band, but for the entire genre of heavy-metal music. -Robert Burrow.

Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux became worldwide sensations with their eponymous debut album (back in 2004), which transformed a considered selection of underground post-punk hits by the likes of Joy Division, Depeche Mode and Tuxedo Moon, into sophisticated, acoustic, bossa-influenced chansons. Two years on, the duo have returned with a new album - named after a Jean-Luc Godard movie - and more of their rive gauche renditions. Joined by youthful chanteuses Melanie Pain, Camille and Phoebe Killdeer, the band once again dust off tunes by The Buzzcocks (`Ever Fallen In Love'), New Order (`Blue Monday'), Visage (`Fade To Grey'), Yazoo (`Don't Go'), Bauhaus (`Bela Lugosi's Dead') - even Billy Idol's thinly veiled ode to masturbation `Dancing With Myself' - and strip them down to the kind of happy-go-lucky lounge classics that your Gran could tap her feet to. Some may not want to hear their fave 80s songs re-imagined in this manner, but most will enjoy the album's intoxicating insouciance. -Paul Sullivan.

As if to accentuate their fundamental hugeness, Metallica (arguably the most consistently innovative metal band of the 80s and 90s) stretched yet further into the arena of the titanic with this immense cohesion of the orchestral and the truly seismic. Recorded live at California's Berkeley Community Theatre with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra under the direction of composer and arranger Michael Kamen, S & M showcases over two hours of the band's best known material including the muscular thrash of "Master Of Puppets" and the devastating power of "Enter Sandman". Also featuring a pair of brand new compositions-the pounding menace of "Human" and chest-beating nihilism of "No Leaf Clover"-S & M steers clear of pompous self-indulgence in favour of sheer blistering intensity. Kamen's orchestral arrangements perfectly complement the underlying subtlety of Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett and Newsted's singularly bombastic muse and the end result is nothing short of awesome. -Ian Fortnam.

Here's Dave Grohl as you've seldom seen him before: not just live, but as the title Skin And Bones may hint, stripped down to his acoustic core. Well actually, not quite. Rather than just Grohl and a six-string, this collection - recorded at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles - harks back to the ensemble feel of Nirvana's 1994 album Unplugged In New York, familiar songs rebuilt by the Foos and a cast of musicians including violinist Petra Haden, keyboardist Rami Jaffee and even a member of that now legendary Nirvana session, Pat Smear. Stripped of the anthemic breeziness and solid, muscular riffing that have become Foo trademarks, Skin And Bones relies more on prettifying the arrangements with strings, shakers and slow splashes of cymbal, and occasionally uncovering new levels of pathos beneath the sweat and grit. "Walking After You" feels custom-written for this format, while the crescendos of "My Hero" gain a little more humanity in this more intimate setting. And when the bigger hits come, Grohl makes up for the absence of feedback and fireworks with sheer frontman charisma, summoning up some throaty Springsteen emotiveness on "Best Of You" and climaxing with a heroic "Everlong". -Louis Pattison.

The orchestral-pop hit "Iris" (from the soundtrack to City of Angels) proved the Goo Goo Dolls were no one-hit wonder with 1995's "Name". One listen to "Slide", the crafty, yearning second track off their sixth release, suggests the streak continues for Buffalo's finest. Not surprisingly, aspects that make the aforementioned songs memorable-warm, acoustic stylings; strings; heartrending hooks-also make Dizzy come alive elsewhere. Ultimately, the effort documents the band's continued migration from indie rock toward the mainstream. Thus, while "Slide" and the reprise of the wondrous "Iris" might shine for weeks (or even years) of repeated listens, attempts to keep alive the group's power-trio past often have a been-there/done-that feel. -Neal Weiss.

This is rock as its most unapologetic: raw, aggressive, basic, full-on metal with more than a touch of schoolboy sexism. 1980's Robert "Mutt" Lange-produced Back In Black might've been where the Australian band hit it big, but one has to return to the gritty, guttural tones of original singer Bon Scott to appreciate AC/DC at their fiercest. In particular, the garage, almost punk-style production on "Problem Child", the title track and denim classic "Whole Lotta Rosie" showcased the Young brothers' no-nonsense riffing technique at its hardest and most ass-kicking. Metal was built on albums like this: Black Sabbath's debut, Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy-no-nonsense screaming coupled with often childish lyrics matched to the most primal of riffs. An unbeatable combination. -Everett True.

Lullabies to Paralyze is the first Queens of the Stone Age album released since the rather messy departure of co-conspirator Nick Oliveri, but this by no means sounds like a Josh Homme solo project. Granted, opening track "Lullaby" is a mellow ballad, but as it's sung by Mark Lanegan, it can hardly count as Homme's flirtation with self-indulgence. And besides, once "Medication" kicks in with the tell-tale chugga-chugga guitars that have marked every previous QOTSA release, it'd be impossible to mistake this album for anyone else. The loss of Oliveri is almost compensated for by the appearance of some top-flight guests: from Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top (on the appropriately bluesy "Burn the Witch" and on the penultimate track) to Garbage's Shirley Manson and The Distillers' Brody Dalle. Best of all, though, is the accelerating riff of "Someone's in the Wolf", which is one of the most air-guitar-worthy songs of recent years. On the whole, Lullabies to Paralyze is never as good as Rated R or Songs for the Deaf, but few modern rock albums are. If the Queens of the Stone Age have one fault, it's that they've set their own standards too high. -Robert Burrow.

The album cover of this self-titled release depicts the nine members of Slipknot in creepy masks, the dark image confirmed by the presence of a parental advisory sticker. Inside, foul language and subversive lyrics complete the picture. Yet Slipknot are no Insane Clown Posse, using hyperbole to mask a lack of talent. Slipknot's sound, while indebted to the likes of Korn, is more aggressive and creative; indeed, it's a closer kin to Slayer and death metal, yet listenable and surprisingly melodic. The common denominator among Slipknot and the late 1990s crop of neo-metal-rap bands is producer Ross Robinson (Korn, Limp Bizkit), who discovered the Iowa-bred Slipknot and signed them to his label, I Am Records. His stellar production, melded with wonderfully creepy percussive elements, a sampler, a DJ, metallic-grind guitars, and singer Corey Taylor's immense passion and wide melodic range, makes Slipknot immensely listenable. Slipknot isn't for everyone, but they provide a visceral and satisfying ride for fans of the hard stuff. -Katherine Turman.

Part one of Guns N' Roses' ambitious second album is arguably the better of the two. It certainly rocks harder, though this seems to be more coincidence than anything else; which songs went on which CD looks to have been a random selection. Use Your Illusion I stays closer to the band's bluesy hard-rock roots, with guitarist Izzy Stradlin contributing some of the best songs, including "Dust N' Bones" and "You Ain't the First". "November Rain" (clocking in at over nine minutes) became an instant classic, and there are a fair number of straight-ahead rockers, such as "Perfect Crime", "Don't Damn Me", and "Garden of Eden". Taking the best from this album and Use Your Illusion II would have made a killer single CD, but there's enough good stuff here to make it worthwhile. -Genevieve Williams.

Their name gives it away. Josh Homme's Queens Of The Stone Age are in love with the primordial rock of "Iron Man"-era Black Sabbath and Funhouse-Stooges. Their debut, self-financed, self-titled album was rock stripped back to the bone. As one would expect from a band formed out of various ex- Screaming Trees, Dwarves and Kyuss members, it was an exhilarating exercise in economy, heaviness and repetition. with a little psychedelia thrown in. Rated R is even better. From the brittle catchiness of "Auto Pilot" to Mark Lanegan's guest vocals on the swirling "In The Fade" and the presciently titled "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer", this album doesn't mess around. The rhythms are fluid, the guitars tight and magical. [+]

Experience Hendrix brings together the major singles with a stack of majestic album tracks and the career-defining live Woodstock version of "The Star Spangled Banner" on a fat 20-tracker. While best used as a sampler to direct new listeners to the immortal Are You Experienced, Electric Ladyland, and so on, the CD (which supplants the short-lived Ultimate Experience collection) does hang together as a listen. Its blend of Hendrix the rocker and Hendrix the underrated soul man is suggestive, painting a picture of a multifaceted genius and transcending its plainly mercenary origins. In the end, its effect-like that of all Hendrix's best records-is to remind us of a Jimi very, very much alive. -Rickey Wright.

Road-tested in a car speeding the mean streets of Staines, Stars Of CCTV - the debut album from Middlesex's Hard-Fi - consciously sets out to update the sense of frustrated tension and suburban dread that powered second-wave ska acts like The Specials and The Beat back at the close of the `70s. Don't get it twisted, this isn't ska-punk a la Brit troupers [Spunge] and Capdown: Hard-Fi play this music lean and moody, like The Streets on downers, or Massive Attack plugging in and tuning up. "Cash Machine" sees a swallowed debit card as the jump-off for vocalist Richard Archer to spin a tale of crushing poverty and unwanted pregnancy, spurred along by thrumming dub bass and the sad wheeze of a vibraphone. They do upbeat as well, as club anthem "Hard To Beat" - a heart-fluttering composite of Northern Soul elation and fist-pumping Rockers reggae - joyfully confirms. But it's the emotional struggle, the ups and downs of life, that keeps Stars Of CCTV engaging throughout: see penultimate track "Living For The Weekend", a hedonistic blast filled with not a little of the passion that fuelled Oasis' Definitely Maybe, which succeeds chiefly because it's all too aware of the bad times as well as the good. -Louis Pattison.

For many heavy metal fans, Metallica epitomizes the genre, especially for those listeners who remember the band's fast-and-furious 1983 debut, Kill 'Em All. As a result, their continued foray into a more stripped-down, laid-back sound with this album has met a mixed response. However, there's enough innovation and just plain strange stuff on this album to make it worth a listen. The creepy "The Memory Remains" is perfectly accentuated by Marianne Faithfull's backing vocals, and "Where the Wild Things Are" features the multi-layered vocals and guitars that Metallica is famous for, albeit at about half their usual speed. The opening ("Fuel") and closing ("Fixxxer") tracks are especially strong, and intermixed with some slower, country-inflected tunes are the obnoxious rockers that made Metallica the long-running success they are. -Genevieve Williams.

Had Use Your Illusion II been combined with Use Your Illusion I, keeping only the best material while dropping the filler, it would have been one of the best rock albums ever recorded. Instead, great songs like "Civil War", "14 Years", "Estranged", and "So Fine" compete with the inexcusable "Get in the Ring" and the well-intentioned but off-target cover of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". There's no point to the second version of "Don't Cry", either. On the other hand, when Guns N' Roses were good, they were very, very good, and some of the material on this album is unsurpassable. -Genevieve Williams.