This Century’s 'Biography of Heartbreak' comes to be exactly that. It begins on a note of romance and youthful optimism, and slowly descends into story after story of heartache and teenage break ups that, yes, could get slightly redundant were it not for the band’s ability to keep it fresh. Let’s be honest, if you’re listening to a band like This Century, you’re not looking for complexity or deeper meaning, you come for the party music and the heartache anthems. And that’s exactly what you get with 'Biography of Heartbreak'.

'For the Boats' is a band finding its feet. State Lines have created an album of hearty indie/punk gems that secure them a place as one of the more interesting bands in a sea of punk bands that trade on sounding derivative. 

Perspectives aren’t really doing anything dramatically different from other bands in their genre; all the raw materials are the same, but the craftsmanship and dedication of the lads in Perspectives means that the end product becomes something special.

With 'Love Lust Faith and Dreams,' 30 Seconds To Mars have released an album that seems to lack any real purpose or motivation, with almost every track just sounding boring and uninspired. This album had the potential to be a lot more than it is, but the final product is just bland, fake, and overproduced.

'One of Us is the Killer' is a whirlwind of complete and total chaos, and The Dillinger Escape Plan have once again proved they are at the top of their game, venturing into territories that some musicians wouldn't even imagine existed. The band have delivered what could arguably be their best record yet, and have put out a strong contender for album of the year.

'Mosquito' is certainly the least energetic of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs catalogue, but this is in no way a bad thing. This is the mature version of the group, focused on using their individual elements in the simplest and most effective ways resulting in something very different for their fans.

'Ungrateful' is an album that sits on the fence. It's not terrible, however it shows a potential that Escape the Fate did not manage to fill. It's very classic Escape the Fate, a little more mainstream but worth a listen for its more heavy and catchy elements. 

Italian melodic hardcore bands, who would've thunk it? 30 Miles are doing their best to make the genre as interesting as possible and are nearly there, with a little bit more sound variety these guys would be on a winner. There are no problems with their song writing and structuring abilities and it will be very interesting to see where they take things next.

'Trouble Will Find Me' sees The National at the top of their game. The 13 songs on the album demonstrate a clear, mature yet visceral approach, delivered with professional finesse without sounding by-the-numbers and instead bold and self-assured. There's a definite sense of coherency and it feels like an “album” album moreso than anything the band have done in the past. An incredible record.

So, the question remains, does Unkind manage to stand up on the pedestal on which it has been placed? The answer is undoubtedly a hearty ‘yes.’ Unkind is as diverse and as brutal as all its hype had predicted, and this review only confirms its inevitable success in 2013.