Ghost, one of the most esteemed and celebrated rock bands in the world today, return with their fifth psalm, Impera, fronted by the newly anointed Papa Emeritus IV. A dozen songs take on themes of isolation and demigod worship, as well as colonization of both space and mind. And all with the infectious hooky brand of rock their fans have grown accustomed.

Classic Objects is a map of places; past places, like the old empty Melbourne pubs Hval’s band used to play in, public places Hval missed throughout lockdown, imagined, future places, and impossible places where dreams, hallucinations, death and art can take you. It’s also Hval’s version of a pop album, mixed to sound as though it’s played through a stereo in a mysterious room.

Five Legged Dog — a four album acoustic retrospective/covers tribute, is a testament to Melvins’ unmatched work ethic and their penchant for pushing the envelope, then shredding it to bits. Said Melvins founder, Buzz Osborne, “One acoustic record seems like a joke and two is pretty normal, but doing FOUR?!? That’s like going to war against an army of gorillas on LSD.”

“The pandemic and lockdown really brought home the truth that spontaneity can be taken away,” said Adams. “The title song 'So Happy It Hurt' is about freedom, autonomy, spontaneity, and the thrill of the open road. The album of the same name touches on many of the ephemeral things in life that are really the secret to happiness, most importantly, human connection.”

A twenty track chronological journey through Franz Ferdinand’s career to date, Hits To The Head effortlessly runs through early singles, including the megahit “Take Me Out” while reminding us of their dancefloor appeal with cult classics “Michael” and “This Fire” standing out as forgotten indie bangers. A perfect reminder of their lasting importance and a celebration of feel-good outsider indie anthems.

Financial troubles and tornados among other things (ahem, pandemic) called for a stop-start recording process. But out of hardship the strong survive, and Rebelator is more than just survival. There is massive power in the playing here, but the down time seems to have added a freshness and a crispness to their sound. More melodies, more hooks, more experimentation. There’s hope in this heavy.

Carter Family meets Addams Family. Rich with quality finger picking and replete with harmonies, Easy Listening for Jerks offers many new moods of songs we think we know so well. Under a title that recalls the songwriting humour of Roger Miller and Steve Martin’s comedy stylings alike, the EPs offer a surprising and compelling mix of gravity and levity. Foggy Mountain Boys, but make it Beetlejuice.

On their Dualtone debut Sticking With It, Seattle-based seven-piece The Dip deliver the kind of unbridled soul/R&B that hits on every emotional level, inciting everything from raw catharsis to heavy-hearted reckoning to wildly exuberant joy. The resulting body of work captures the mood of the current moment while offering immediate escape into a more elevated state of mind.

Written alongside Ignorance, How Is It… a piece of reflection and quiet, meant to hold stillness in the aftermath. Recorded live, as a performance; an improvisation, with a group of Toronto jazz musicians, it was imagined as a record of ballads; simple, pure, almost naive, but speaking to many of the same realities as Ignorance does. Two albums as two halves of the same coin; the moon and sun, a photograph and a photonegative.

The jazztronica duo’ full-length debut Motherland Journey is an album years in the making, celebrating pushing boundaries, taking risks, and overcoming adversity. Following their 2021 EP, We Will Rise, this new album is a star-studded affair featuring the duo (producer NK-OK and multi-instrumentalist Mr DM) joined by collaborators including Ghetto Boy, Tiana Major9, KillBeatz and more.

Sonically, the album is a return to their earlier work and the kind of raw ethos that lies at the heart of Band of Horses. Emotionally intense, both on a personal and elemental level, we find band founder Ben Bridwell more autobiographical than he’s ever been on record detailing the nebulous frustrations and quiet indignities of relationship changes and what a person will do to make things right.

The sole, full length album from Loney Hutchins's most productive era in the 197’s. In '79 the country rock album was too folksy for LA and too electric for Nashville. Featuring a rhythm section from Dolly Parton's live band during her 'Jolene' period, and searing hot country licks, this reissue is restored from the original 2" multitrack tapes, including two never before heard tracks.

Legendary guitar player Mike Campbell, while seemingly inseparable from Tom Petty for over four decades, has always shown independence and musical curiosity which has resulted in some remarkable projects. External Combustion assures us that the Dirty Knobs are not side-band lark but, as tragic circumstances dictate, a worthy full-time concern for Campbell and his talents.

Harder, faster, shorter and louder than any other Porches record, it’s direct and pointed, charged up and chaotic, and as described by creator Aaron Maine, “the most energetic, off-the-cuff moments, collaged together into the most captivating songs I could make.” It’s a dreamy, primal journey of coping with an incomprehensible time, reveling in the joy and confusion of living through it all.

This is the most unforgivably doomy Crowbar record since their landmark 1998 effort, Odd Fellows Rest. It’s reverently old-school, counterbalanced by a resonant melodicism that’s stunningly mature. Songs like “Chemical Gods,” “Bleeding from Every Hole,” and “It’s Always Worth the Gain” demonstrate what Crowbar does better than any other band: powerful, evocative, and crushingly heavy music.

Filthy, belligerent and obnoxious, Midnight make music to start fights to. Since 2003, one-man-band Athenar has been churning out an ungodly racket, dropping countless demos, splits and EPs - and in 2022 he returns, delivering a catchy mixture of black metal, speed metal, and dirty punk rock. "I always want it to be loud and nasty," he asserts. "That kinda thing never gets old with me.”

Sabaton’s tenth full-length was crafted as a concept album that dives deep into previously unexplored atrocities, miracles and events tied to the early 20th century's World War I. The stories and history told here are not only engaging, and well-told musically and vocally, but are important to remember. A worthwhile addition to any metal (or history) fan's library.

"You're born into the world as a blank canvas. As you meet people and experience things, you're getting stained and torn up. " That's the concept here. Featuring guest appearances from Geoff Rickly, Jeff Smith and Bones, This World Is Going To Ruin You is a fully realized version of Vein.FM’s darker and more disgusting inception of metallic hardcore.