Tool are better than most bands around today. And they're "prog" so therefore credible with intellectuals.

The album that brought them to everyone's attention. Lots of abstract lyrics to get your head around.

This was probably my favourite CD for well over a year. And Deftones are cooler than you.

Doesn't sound a lot like anything else. Schizophrenic Armenian pop-metal? They've gone from strength to strength, but it started here.

Kyuss were Josh Homme's band before he started Q.O.T.S.A.. More riff driven than Queens, this is classic "stoner" rock.

Politically charged rap-rock (Nü-metal? Don't say that to Zach De La Rocha) with more balls than anyone.

Chriss Goss produced, Brighton based rock group who you'd do well to not try and understand.

Chino Moreno goes trip-hop with one of today's finest drummers, an all round ambient feast (if you enjoyed the softer parts of White Pony).

The paragon of thrash metal. Simply lays down the template for how thrash should sound, Metallica's best record.

OK, so its not fashionable to like Slipknot anymore, but this, as debuts go, is as heavy as you're likely to hear.

Post-modernist-rock. At times bleak, haunting throughout. The 2nd (of the 3) tracks was used to good effect in 28 Days Later in the abandonned London scenes.

Industrial teutonic operatic rock. I don't speak German but that in no way takes away from my appreciation of these barmy krauts.

Heavy, dark and free of the standard metal clichés, this is an astounding experiment in wackiness with no two songs sounding alike. FNM's best release as far as I am concerned.