On their self-titled debut, Toronto, ON-based percussion and instrumental ensemble Ainike deliver an album full of rhythmic diversity. Heavily influenced by the music of the Malinke from Guinea, West Africa (who are known around the world for their percussive innovation), Ainike’s spin on their traditional rhythms with Afrobeat fusion creates a lively 70-minute listen. Opener “Matadi” sets the tone for the album’s full sound, as a mishmash of instruments create various rhythms that work to complement each other, whether it’s the tenor sax being accompanied by djembes or hand-held shakers emphasizing trilling guitar. Throughout the record, sax players Todd Porter and Richard Underhill belt their horns with fast, strong, deliberate toots while guitarists Serge Cimpaye and Eric St-Laurent make liberal use of their guitar necks, gliding up and down, releasing a multitude of notes. The most danceable tracks are “Joy Rising” and “N’Fa Kaba.” (Independent)

Delivering a heavy dose of bass to the pan-ethnic electronica scene, DJ David Starfire’s first full-length album, Bollyhood Bass, seamlessly blends classical Indian music with neo-bhangra, hip-hop, dubstep and dance influences. Best known in the blogosphere for remixes of the Smiths and his 2007 EP, Bombay Beatz, Starfire showcases his talent for musical composition on the disc’s 14 original tracks. Opener “Sitarfire” starts with a soothing Indian flute, which is interrupted by spouting Balkan horns when a bass drops and accompanies a trembling sitar for the rest of the song. While the entire album has a consistent bass presence, it’s on “Load” where Starfire gets crafty, using dubstep influences and switching bass pitch drops to create a bouncing effect. Adding a danceable groove, L.A. rapper iCatching delivers a rough, feminine flow over neo-bhangra beats on “The Beat.” And with a nod to Starfire’s love of pop music, the album’s last track is a downtempo cover of the Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” featuring sweet vocals from California’s Lynx. (Six Degrees)

Self-proclaimed nomadic traveller Razia Said’s debut album, Zebu Nation, is an eclectic fusion of traditional Malagasy music with French, jazz and Indian influences. Lyrically focusing on the fight to stop deforestation in her birthplace of Madagascar, it took Razia three years to make the album. On opener “Babonao,” Razia sounds enchanting, accompanied by shakers, percussive claps and acoustic guitar. Recorded in Madagascar, Razia tries to capture the country’s political and environmental strife, best heard on “Lalike,” a vocally eerie acoustic track about drought, while “Mifohaza” is a call to action for community change. Musically, one of the album’s main instrumental highlights is award-winning accordionist Regis Gizavo, whose talent is best showcased on “Yoyoyo.” Although mostly sung in her native tongue of Malagasy, Razia sings in French on “Tsy Tara” and English on “Slash and Burn,” which is about a widely used, damaging deforestation method. A bonus is English translations for every song in the album’s liner notes, which helps further Razia’s message about saving Madagascar’s natural habitats. (Cumbancha)

On their debut album, Heart Remains, five-piece southern Californians Create Avoid deliver ten tracks of heart crunching brutality full of relentless breakdowns, two-step grooves and lyrical honesty. On the title track, drummer Steve Reese sprints with succinct snares while guitarists Chris Williams and Austin Medina keep things simple with chugs and light melodic riffs, allowing vocalist Mike Alsaybar to take the spotlight, growling about rising through tough times. “Nice Choice, Nice Life” shows off the band’s technical side, with the guitars swiftly changing tempos and upscale riffs working together to create layered sounds. Although Alsaybar has a nice raspy quality to his vocals, it’s drummer Reese who steals the show, as his deliberate use of constant drum rolls keeps listeners antsy to find out what’s next. Top tracks include “Gotham,” with a drawn out two-step section, and “The Author.” (Pure Noise)

After a few line-up changes, two albums and a split with Hoods, Syracuse, NY-based Freya are back with their newest release, All Hail The End. Led by Earth Crisis vocalist Karl Buechner, the disc is a concept album focusing on humanity’s greed and struggle throughout history ― appropriate themes considering last year’s economic recession. Hard-hitting from opener “The Light That Rivaled The Sun,” the album’s 13 tracks seamlessly flow into each other with shredding guitars, brutal drums and scorching screams. 2009 was a busy year for Buechner. Besides recording All Hail The End, EC released their latest album, To The Death, this past May, and even after fronting bands for the past 19 years, Buechner’s vocals are flawless. Freya guitarists John Sullivan and Brendon Flynn look to the Middle East for musical inspiration on “Human Demons,” and “Deities of Wrath” is the album’s most mosh-worthy song, with an elongated, sluggish breakdown-bridge. (Victory)

When Throwdown released Venom and Tears in 2007, it was supposed to be a step in a new direction for the Californian metalcore band, as their songs became more structured and thrash-like. But since leaving Trustkill for E1 and releasing their sixth studio album, Deathless, Throwdown are taking a giant leap back, landing in a more generic-sounding area. Although vocalist Dave Peters delivers his expected flawless growl, musically the album is dull. The creativity shown on Haymaker and Venom is lost in Deathless ― gone are the days of layered guitar riffs and breakdowns. It’s well known that Throwdown take influences from the likes of Pantera and Metallica, but it’s gotten to the point where, at times, they sound like a well-rehearsed cover band. All is not lost, however, as the album’s gems are “Headed South,” which features killer Southern guitar licks and sludge-like breaks, and “Black Vatican,” which sounds like it could’ve come off Vendetta. (E1)

Making a balanced concoction of pop and punk hardcore, Take It Back deliver a solid sophomore album that will have you bouncing from the first notes of Atrocities. Hailing from Fort Smith, Arkansas, these southerners appetizingly layer the different styles of music with a good sense of rhythm. Vocalist Nick Thomas’s rough tonal quality sounds remarkably similar to ex-Comeback Kid front-man Scott Wade, but on “What We’re Fighting For,” Thomas drops the tough guy act, singing in a nasally tone that’s surprisingly pleasing. Sticking with simple chord progressions, guitarists Daniel Hawkins and Cody Bradley invoke an old-school feel, with quick, succinct strumming and, at times, appear to have a musical conversation when blending in melodies. Delivering tight and punchy songs, Take It Back are a band to keep a tab on. (Face Down)

With their debut EP, Don’t Slow Down, Hawaiian outfit the Throwdowns prove to be a talented band that have yet to find their sound. Instead of fusing their reggae rock, indie, punk, country and rockabilly influences, the Throwdowns dedicate a song to each genre and come off sounding like a completely different band on all of them. “Redemption on the Dancefloor” has a reggae feel, with trilling horns, and vocalist Erin Smith shows off her full, deep, feminine voice, rolling her R’s ravenously. But all the island spirit is lost in their next tune, “Stolen Car,” which drops the band’s groove for disco drums, distorted guitar and Metric-like vocals. A few minutes later on “Take a Swing,” accompanied by strings and lightly strummed acoustic guitar, Smith gets generically country, singing about a bar fight. Although their musicianship is tight and structured, with well-written lyrics, the abrupt jumps between genres are disruptive. (Independent)

Back with their fifth studio album, Atreyu have mostly abandoned their metalcore roots, opting for an arena rock sound topped with hints of heaviness, and it works well. Always able to write catchy riffs and choruses, Atreyu have stepped-up their game on Congregation of the Damned with tons of shredding guitar solos, barraging drums and well-structured songs. The best part of this 13-track disc is the increased melodic vocal presence of drummer Brandon Saller. While lead vocalist Alex Varkatzas often sounds croaky, Saller has an impressive range. The album flows well, minus a few awkward stints. Trying to sound epic on “You Were The King, Now You’re Unconscious” but ultimately failing, the track starts with marching band drums over a cheering crowd background, transitioning into overly-produced guitar/drum rhythms. And sappy love ballad closer “Wait For You” is extremely difficult to listen to, as Saller and Varkatzas sing about heartbreak and being lost and lonely. (Hollywood)