guitar, touch-of-funk percussion and lyrics that skirt the genre's staple voodoo make the Cult the choice for conscious headbangers. Three years after the tepid "Ceremony," superlunged Ian Astbury and Co. pounce back hot. Their cosmic thirsts bubble up on "Universal You," and verses like "Riot girl, show me your truth" offer rare, nifty uplift.

Megadeth main man Dave Mustaine has a yen for the majestic, and with spooky consistency he succeeds in erecting towering sonic obelisks. Working this Wagnerian tip is dicey, but Megadeth's secret weapon -- an oiled precision that suggests Stygian rehearsals -- is calibrated to kill. "Elysian Fields" and "Victory" are prime Mustaine: This is metal-machine music, indeed.