Buried Inside
Chronoclast (Relapse/Koch)
One of the most anticipated metal releases of the year, Chronoclast doesn't disappoint. In fact, it blows the expectations out of the water. Ottawa's heaviest have birthed one of the most epic, panoramic pieces yet and the production by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, These Arms Are Snakes, the Blood Brothers) is perfectly in sync with the blast, allowing the different sections to fall seamlessly into each other. Chronoclast is one piece of music broken into 10 sections, but the plot is never lost as Buried Inside perfect the peak-and-valley dynamics while counter-melodies battle it out to the bitter end. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

U2
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Island/Universal)
"Vertigo" notwithstanding, U2's latest LP is more in tune with their own semi-palatable MOR history than with the recent garage-rock revival. Between tepid ballads, the Edge cranks it on songs like "Love and Peace or Else," a grand old groovy glam rocker, and "City of Blinding Lights," bearing the ringing guitars and gargantuan choruses of classic, epic U2. Despite some tiresome turns of phrase, Bono stealthily melds the personal and political, bridging AIDS, war, ageing and romance to the point where you don't know if he's singing to a lady or George W. Bush or both. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Gwen Stefani
Love Angel Music Baby (Interscope/Universal)
Me, I like Stefani's squeaky-puss delivery, but I'm starting to have my doubts about the erstwhile No Doubt frontwoman. Her solo album boasts production by the cream of the crop (Dr. Dre, Nellee Hooper, Neptunes, Jam & Lewis) and, to be fair, is bookended by a pair of tolerable tracks (the closing "Long Way to Go" is an oddball, Princely number with Andre 3000). But the balance - the "Milkshake" manqué of "Hollerback Girl," the flavourless shakedown of Salt-N-Pepa that is "Crash," the dubious essays at warmed-over new romanticism and sub-par strip-club R&B - make No Doubt's corny synth-ska seem majestic in contrast. 5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Manic Street Preachers
Lifeblood (Epic/Sony)
Back from the brink of retirement because they couldn't sit out such politically volatile times, the Manics have made their most consistent album in years, but not necessarily their best. They've merged their radio-ready AOR and their punk tendencies to produce high-gloss rock (like a lacquered early U2), minus the orchestral grandeur and guitar theatrics, plus a backdrop of bubbling synths and groovy bass. Lyrically, their political content is opaque, far from the seething anti-right attacks of 1994's The Holy Bible, but references to suffragette Emily Pankhurst, Nietzsche, Orwell, Morrissey and Nixon are pleasantly true to form. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Concretes
self-titled (EMI)
From the first trill of the organ, shake of the tambourine and glum Nordic tones of singer Victoria Bergsman, this Swedish sextet raises the spectre (and Spector) of the late '60s, from Motown ballads and hot-blooded girl group hits to the macabre musings of Nico and the dark ethereality of the Doors. Surprises abound within their retro constructs (all built with slight modern foundations), such as skewed waltz time, marching beats, blaring horns and widescreen prairie melancholy. This is a striking LP (their first, following a string of Swedish singles and EPs), part party, part funeral procession. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Lovely Feathers
My Best Friend Daniel (Love Your Diary)
Fresh new figures in the local indie landscape, the Lovely Feathers have found a distinct, quirky voice for themselves. They don't rewrite the indie pop-rock rulebook, but they certainly fill the margins with hand-scrawled clauses and loopholes of their own devising. Oddball lyrics, exceptional keyboard work and agitated, nervous-nerd vocals personalize what's already a solid batch of clever, energetic tunes. I'd keep an eye on these kids because I suspect they're only getting started, and they've started right. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With the Golden Dogs and Boy at le Swimming tonight, Thurs., Nov. 25, 10 p.m., $3

Dandi Wind
Bait the Traps EP (Bongo Beat)
This B.C. duo should be brought to the attention of anyone who digs the spastic art damage and raw electronics of Les Georges Leningrad, Chicks on Speed or Nina Hagen. While Dandi Wind's sweaty, switched-on, punk-ademic performance art is ideally a live experience, the neato lo-fi tunes and shouty, krauty vocals hold their own on plastic. Vancouver's Dandilion Wind Opaine - sculptor, singer, freak-out artist - and her sidekick on the keys Szam Findlay nail that downtown now sound (and of 25 years ago, but anyway...), perhaps because the urban malaise is that much more genuine, given Opaine's boonie-bound youth. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) At the Green Room with Robert Ouimet, Kevlar and DJ Vertigo tonight, Thurs., Nov. 25 and Nanobot Auxiliary Ballet, DJ Luv and Kevlar on Wed., Dec. 1, both shows 9 p.m., $5

The Secret
Luce (Goodfellow)
Within seconds, the comparisons to Converge are going to come up, but the Secret carve out their own niche on this metal-tinged hardcore assault. The familiar chugs are strewn over the same old discordant arpeggios, but the power that the Secret wield is undeniable. Marco Coslovich's vocals barely get over the crunch of guitars, choosing to bury themselves in the eye of the storm. Aside from the aforementioned Converge influence, the Secret also manage to perfect the odd time signatures of Meshugga and mix it up with the blistering power of Lamb of God. The Secret are right on the money here, but may still be a record away from true brilliance. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Various
Axis of Justice Concert Series Vol. 1 (Serjical Strike/Sony)
I'm sure it sounded like a great idea at the time, but certain things need to be left unsung. System of a Down's Serj Tankian has an incredible voice, but him covering Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" is like Whitney Houston doing Marilyn Manson. Just about all of Rage Against the... I mean, Audioslave backs him up on these noisy jams and "Oh no, they didn't" covers, Chris Cornell, Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea on bass and A Perfect Circle's Maynard James Keenan too. Jurassic 5, Peter Yorn and the Nightwatchmen make up for it, but only so slightly. Comes with a DVD of live footage, interviews and rants 'n' raves. 6/10 (Lateef Martin)

Chingy
Powerballin' (Capitol/EMI)
Oh, Chingy, where is thy sting? Chingy has got to be one of my favourite popcorn MCs, in that so much time and effort is spent on his image that you almost forget the fact that he can't rap. If I had a car, this would be great for some bump, but I can't help but feel like, in the midst of all the hoopla that came with "Right Thurr," Chingy was so proud of himself that he forgot to build. As a result, Powerballin' is a little overconfident for what it delivers, and might have been pushed out the door a little too quickly if you ask me. Dude should spend more time on punchlines and rhymes than he does on spinners and dimes. 6.5/10 (Scott C) With B.U, Meta4ace, Apollo Chriss, Massari. and more at Club Dome, Mon., Nov. 29, 9 p.m., $30

Beatfanatic
Adventures in the World of No-Fi Beats (Raw Fusion)
Sweden's Ture Sjoberg is an old-school head who doesn't discriminate when it comes to a dope beat. On his debut LP as Beatfanatic, he digs through funk, soul, jazz, disco, dub, hip hop and more to mix the ingredients of his busy dance floor concoctions. This guy is paying a beautifully danceable tribute to re-edits and beat chops of days gone by, while paying very close attention to the breaks. This is an album for the head-nodder, the crate-digger and all b-boys and b-girls everywhere. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama
There Will Be a Light (Virgin/EMI)
An electric combination if there ever was one - folk-rocker Harper makes beautiful music with this revered gospel group. Harper keeps the sound loose while the Boys bring the intensity of an energetic church revival front and centre. Trading vocals with Blind Boys frontman Clarence Fountain, Harper, with his band the Innocent Criminals, brings spiritual heat to tracks like "Wicked Man" and "Church House Steps." Though it's mostly Harper originals here, this skilled ensemble does justice to several covers, including a sombre reading of Bob Dylan's "Well, Well, Well." By the time "Church on Time" closes the set, the only thing left to say is "Amen." 8/10 (Gerard Dee)

Skip Bey
Live at Quartier Latin (Kaspar)
Kaspar Crumby-Bey - we knew him as Skip - died on July 8, leaving a minute legacy. That just doubled with this release to add to the Oliver Jones duo sessions. Recorded live in 2002, this is a typical set with Skip joined by his longtime musical partner Tim Jackson, Wali Muhammad and Shmil Berniker. The latter is responsible for the release of this well-recorded set. 10/10 (Len Dobbin) CD launch at Quartier Latin on Wed., Dec. 1, 4:30 p.m., free

Mini CD Reviews

Dick Twardzik Complete Recordings (Lone Hill) Dead at 24 back in 1954, this important pianist left a very small legacy. Here's the trio (studio) session and some off-the-cuff playing at a friend's house. Important! 10 (LD)

Collen "The Jamaican Jerk Off: Golden" 12" (GAMM) This wonderful, riddim-driven rub of Jill Scott's "Golden" will make you smile. 8 (SC)

Alison Krauss and Union Station Lonely Runs Both Ways (Rounder) Krauss joins forces with dobro master Jerry Douglas, with amazing results. 8 (JC)

Playgroup Reproduction (Peace Frog/Fusion III) Sixteen remixes (Radio 4, Rapture, Chromeo, Soft Cell, Yello) in Trevor Jackson's signature narco-disco dub-punk style. Love the Sinema track - pure no wave cool. 8 (RB)

Rammstein Reise, Reise (Universal) Still angry, still heavy, still operatically melodramatic, Rammstein teaches them metalhead young 'uns a lesson - in German! 7.5 (LM)

Matt Sharp self-titled (Boompa) A slow, sad, haunting dispatch from depressed small-town Tennessee by this ex-Weezer bassist/ex-Rentals singer. 7 (LC)

Boy Every Page You Turn (MapleMusic) No longer a lone eccentric from a freshly burst Arctic bubble, Boy has adopted a rock band, assimilating with mixed results. 6.5 (LC) With Lovely Feathers, Golden Dogs at le Swimming tonight, Thurs., Nov. 25, 10 p.m., $3

Frank Black Francis self-titled (Sonic Unyon) One disc of one-man Pixies demos, one disc of peculiar re-recordings of Pixies hits, for fans only. 6 (LC) The Pixies with the Datsuns, the Marble Index at CEPSUM on Fri., Nov. 26 (sold out) and Sat., Nov. 27, 8 p.m., $42.50

Skeletor HellFireRockMachine (Go Nuts/Fusion III) Here's some titles for ya - "Rockit!," "Bitch Keeps On Rockin'," "Rock and Roll Man" etc. This is weaker than wet Kleenex. 5 (JC)

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