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Mixing despair with hesitant optimism on their visceral debut, Favourite Sons maintain the shoegazer vibe of frontman Ken Griffin's previous band, Rollerskate Skinny, but combine it with the uplifting psych pop of the other four Sons' now-defunct Aspera.

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Deftones' fifth studio album continues their dark, visceral journey -- haunting soundscapes full of ominously chiming guitars, crashing percussion, and frontman Chino Moreno's alternately melodic and guttural singing. But the band also takes some risks -- emphasizing artiness over thundering hardness (unlike 2003's often-deadening self-titled effort).

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Ever since their 2002 debut, these El Paso rockers have been a reliably cathartic and emotionally charged presence. Those old traits remain, but Sparta have evolved, with a melodic approach and a postdepression, fist-pumping attitude. On the single "Taking Back Control," singer/guitarist Jim Ward doesn't simply lament the world's ills, but issues an anti-Bush call to arms.

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England's Kasabian call upon producer Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys, Paul Oakenfold) to send the druggy club sounds of their debut album to boot camp, backing nearly every track here with militant marching beats.