And we are off and we start as we mean to go on with one of metal's most authentic, genuine and none compromising acts Corrosion to Conformity. Active since the early eighties they started as a hardcore punk outfit but in the nineties took a left turn into heavy blues territory. This is their first album in thirteen years with their classic groove metal line up but rather than stick to a tired and tested formula they have actually moved their sound on with this record. It is, as you would expect, brim-full of chunky scuzzy riffs but there also a lot more boundary pushing going on here than I had expected. There are slower moments and even some level of musical complexity beyond riff follows riff. Overall highly enjoyable.

And here comes the Doom. There is a precedent at present to mix doom with all sorts of other metallic flavours, this however is 100% proof accept no substitute Doom Metal. The reverence to Electric Wizard is very obvious but as standard fare Doom Metal goes this is really rather good. The riffs are slow and tombstone heavy and the songs are well structured. There is nought new here but I still found it highly enjoyable.

I am not a pop punk kid and I probably would take great offence if you deemed to refer to me as one. The whole bandwagon of shouty tattooed college fund American kids being annoyed at their lot in life, well, sort of passed me by. To be honest, I couldn't tell a Less Than Jake from a Rise Against. However, in my weekly trawl through weekly releases I really really enjoyed this album. It's short sharp no flab approach to songwriting appealed to my love of the Ramones and their anger at, well anger at everything has a real passion and authenticity to it. Most modern American punk feels sanitised and safe, designed to sell the sensation of rebellion whilst being less radical than a CBGB's full of Jacob Reese Moggs. “Wake the Sleeping Dragon” felt real and for that it earns a breadth in the hundred, just don't call me a pop punk kid!

Sometimes I am not quite sure where I exactly stumble upon the records that end up in the list as I continually keep my ears and eyes out for new interesting stuff. This could have come from Metal Hammer or a recommendation from a friend but it's really rather good. Gothic tinged quite aggressive power metal is probably my best attempt at a description as its got dollops loads of melody and clean vocals but there is also tons of ethereal atmosphere and also a real oomph. It's also got lots of Prog in there with time changing agogo and lots going on. As said not sure how I happened upon it and now very little about the band (so expect no history lessons) I just know I really liked it.