Job For A Cowboy
Ruination
Metal Blade
Hometown: Phoenix

JFAC made such a ruckus with their Doom E.P. back in 2006 that they quickly caught the ear of Metal Blade Record's owner and founder Brian Slagel, the man who put out the first Metallica recordings and who also had the foresight to sign a young band named Slayer. Unlike those two legacy bands JFAC uses distorted vocals and singer Jonny Davy howls like the devil with his pointy tail caught in a meat grinder. The demon-speak is pretty much the only thing fitting to rise up out of the maelstrom of tunes like "Unfurling a Darkened Gospel" and "Summon the Hounds." "Regurgitated Disinformation" is a little bit less chaotic; the flurry of drums and bass backs off just enough to allow the band's two guitarists to flail away in a manner that would make Dave Mustaine bust a big grin. There are plenty of other references to early thrash throughout the album but it's obvious that Job For a Cowboy is well on the way to being the new standard by which others are judged.

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Meat Puppets
Sewn Together
Megaforce
Hometown: Phoenix

They are not the most commercially successful band to ever emerge from the Arizona desert but they are probably the most influential; the music made by the original trio of Curt and Cris Kirkwood and Derek Bostrom was especially beloved by Kurt Cobain. As with any long-running band, the Meat Puppets have had to deal with all sorts of obstacles including a long estrangement between the brothers Kirkwood and the retirement of drummer Bostrom. But nearing their 30th anniversary and with "new" drummer (he's been around a few years now) Ted Marcus keeping the beat the band sounds better than ever. It's never been a secret that it's the songwriting and vocal work of Curt Kirkwood that makes the Meat Puppets what they are and his knack for crafting sublime hooks is on display here from the album's beginning with the neo country & western of the title track; "Sewn Together" is perhaps a comment on the band's resurgence, if not it is certainly fitting. Ambling guitar solos are another of the band's hallmarks and Kirkwood sets a psychedelic tone with "Blanket of Weeds" but turns to down home picking for "I'm Not You." The constant here is Kirkwood's often plaintive and always matter-of-fact style of singing; it's what makes the music of the Meat Puppets relatable no matter what road they careen down.

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Eyes Set To Kill
The World Outside
Break Silence
Hometown: Tempe

This five-piece band has really polished up their sound since their 2008 debut, Reach. Most noticeable is how a delicate balance between screamo and mainstream rock has been struck. Singer Brandon Anderson still plies an angst-y gargle on many songs but front woman Alexia Rodriguez, a dynamo with the pipes of Pat Benatar, is the band's MVP. On certain songs you could forgive yourself for flat out mistaking Rodriguez for Benatar. "Deadly Weapons" in particular sounds like it could be an outtake from Benatar's heyday with only Anderson's background vocals giving a hint that the song isn't from the diminutive star's classic rock songbook. And that's ESTK's secret weapon---their fusion of genres is unforced, seamless and very appealing. Everything here is well written, excellently performed and worthy of repeat play, turned up loud of course.

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Hemoptysis
Who Needs a Shepherd?
(Self-released)
Hometown: Phoenix

Hemoptysis as a medical condition basically means that the person is coughing up blood. So you really don't need to be told what style of singing vocalist Masaki Murashita employs here. Who Needs a Shepherd? is a five-song sampler that finds the band musically taking their cues from Iron Maiden ("Shadow of Death,") Motorhead ("Who Needs a Shepherd?") and Metallica ("All For You.") If this E.P. is any indication of things to come these guys will be coughing up legions of fans.