What sweet irony – The Haunted, a metal band from Gothenburg, don’t rely on the trendy Gothenburg sound! Instead, Versus takes us right back to hardcore-tinged Bay Area thrash. Get yer windmill on.

Gorerotted is dead, long live The Rotted – the London brutalists turn their backs on B-movies to explore the nihilistic horrors of their own lives on Get Dead Or Die Trying.

Frailty is presumably an ironic name for this album - New Jersey hate-heroes The Banner bring a relentless saturation to the metalcore format.

Canadian death veterans Kataklysm should probably have bowed out gracefully before releasing the weak nostalgic turd of Prevail.

The music may be all business, but Boston grindcore bruisers The Red Chord are having plenty of fun behind the scenes of Prey For Eyes.