UNBELIEVABLY Slipknot have been around for 13 years.

When they first burst onto the scene armed with masks, noise and one hit single (Wait and Bleed) they had novelty band written all over them.

But they've chipped away, earned credibility and could now be regarded as the elder statesmen of the new wave of heavy metal.

Back together, after a four year break which saw members pursue side projects including Stone Sour and Murderdolls, Slipknot appear revitalised and ready to have another go at assaulting the eardrums of their teenage fanbase.

'All Hope Is Gone' is very heavy stuff, but not without melody. Current single 'Psychosocial' has a catchy enough chorus to earn some radio play and the diversity within the band is expressed in their most experimental record to date. 7/10

Metallica

THE men who put the metal in heavy metal and then took it back again to form their name return with their best album in 17 years.

'Death Magnetic' harks back to the band's glory days of the late 80s and early 90s. In fact so retrospective is this album that it could have been packaged as a two disc set along with ...And Justice For All.

With epic songs twisting and thrashing like demented conger eels and each weighing in at an average of seven minutes, the four-piece gleefully return to their unconformist roots.

James Hetfield's vocals are those of a man who has died and lived to tell the tale. Lars Ulrich's drums are like synchronised warfare, doing battle with the duelling axes of Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo (on his first studio album with the band).

I had already reviewed the new Slipknot disc before I heard this album. It puts the pretenders to the throne in comparison.

Metallica listen to Slipknot to relax. This is the most intense metal album you're likely to hear for quite some time.

But it's not without killer hooks which is why Metallica have been at the top for so long. Pick of the bunch are 'All Nightmare Long', 'The Day That Never Comes' and 'The Judas Kiss'.

This album is a must for anybody who's ever donned a black T-shirt. 9/10

Reviews by Graeme Cousins

Albums from discs, Lurgan and Craigavon