Bonk

This Kent quintet's second disc stands right alongside melodic metalcore peers like Hopesfall and From Autumn to Ashes. But while some of the hooks and breakdowns aren't quite as strong, the playing is tight; you could bounce a quarter off some of the muscular riffs.

"The Window" features a nice lyrical passage with a snaking tempo and timbre that stand out like an oasis in a battlefield, while the untitled 13th track is intimate enough for a Dashboard Confessional album. At times, though, Bonk's interludes lean a little too close to modern rock radio (which, given the album's crisp production, could prove beneficial), but the more prog-driven excursions are promising -- as are the band's expletive-laced humor and penchant for frequent shifts in style, tempo, and dynamics.