In Brief

The L.A.-based hard-core outfit Amen’s debut (due in stores Tuesday) is an exercise in relentless rock rage. Furious guitars, frantic drum beats and the creepy, possessed-sounding vocals of frontman Casey Chaos make for some dark and effective sonic odes. Nearly every tune--such as the sure-to-be-talked-about “CK Killer,” about Calvin Klein’s use of rockers as models--is as rhythmic as it is deranged.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.