1. Tony Iommi – World Alone

Having made the announcement at a special press conference in Birmingham earlier this week, Tony Iommi is gearing up to release his first solo album in more than two decades. And this first cut, with Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande, is a driving, pounding slab of glorious heavy metal. We can't wait to see what else the Iron Man has up his sleeve.

2. PRESIDENT – dark heaven

The latest single from PRESIDENT's hotly anticipated debut solo album, Blood Of Your Empire, is an infectious slice of anthemic metalcore that, the anonymous band say, "is a reflection on the contradictions of faith, and how something intended to unite humanity has so often been used to justify division, violence, and power."

3. Electric Callboy – The Way You Are

German techno-metallers Electric Callboy have done the unthinkable and mixed the disparate worlds of '90s boyband pop and brutal deathcore. And it is awesome. "We loved playing with that contrast, both musically and visually. The result is probably one of the most unexpected songs we've ever released," they say.