All of us have an alter ego, some persona that we put up to fool people and make us seem better than we really are. Beyoncé takes this concept and makes it the basis of her new album, "I Am … Sasha Fierce." The two discs focus on different sides of her personality. Will Fernandez is intrigued by the idea, and he reviews the results.

T-Pain is back with his third album. This time he displays his genius under the big tent, where guests like Kanye West, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Akon, T.I., and Chris Brown help make this T-Pain's strongest effort yet, according to Will Fernandez.

American alt rock/electronica band Shiny Toy Guns' sophomore album, "Season of Poison," sounds amazing, according to Joy Shapley — but only if listened to all the way through. Repeated themes and sounds create an interwoven and complex whole worth coming back to over and over again.

Even though Lor Sligar detests everything the Pussycat Dolls stand for, she had to admit that their recent hit "When I Grow Up" was pretty catchy. So she decided to check out their new album, "Doll Domination." Her verdict? The Dolls will dominate something, but it won't be the top of the recommended list.

In August, Uni's own Eddie Diazmunoz released an album with his three-man band, The Capote Flat. With the Uni junior on drums, the band's debut effort impressed OG reviewer Eleni Yannelis: "I am a huge fan of alternative pop/rock, and I especially love supporting indie artists. 'Dream!' is a terrific listen!"

The latest release by hip-hop's most quotable artist is not so much an album but a collection of punchline-laden songs, leading some to criticize it as unfocused. But Laura Dripps says Wayne is clearly improving. Despite a few weak tracks, the other songs far make up for the dead weight with their sheer quality.

Swedish prog-metallurgists Opeth released their ninth album, "Watershed," on Tuesday. Newly graduated senior editor Carl Zielinski made sure to pick up a copy, and is pleased that he did so. Read on for more details.

Nine Inch Nails released their seventh album, "The Slip," on May 5 (entirely online and at no charge), taking Gargoyle senior editor Carl Zielinski by surprise. While he found some areas that definitely needed improvement, he feels that everyone should still take a listen. "After all," says Carl, "you can't beat the price."

Hard-to-please metal connoisseur Carl Zielinski finds little to dislike about Finnish band Children of Bodom's latest effort. Check out Carl's audio review, complete with clips from the album, and see if you agree.

The Finnish metal band Children of Bodom (who get their name from a 1960 multiple homicide in their home country) released their latest album on Tuesday, and Carl Zielinski already has his verdict. "Even if it doesn’t leave you grinning in ghoulish delight as it does me," he writes, "respect has to be given to a band that plays as well as Bodom. You won’t find better musicians in any genre today. This is pure, unedited metal."

Headlights, a C-U band with an ardent local following, recently released their third album, and Erin Hayes gave it a close listen. "While it's true that the record is consistent, cohesive, and relatively simple," she writes, "the idea that this should satisfy Headlights and their listeners (who are already hailing 'Some Racing' as a potential breakout for the group) is of concern to me. Yes, the album is pleasant, tender, and well-arranged … but is that enough?"

After his spectacular 2006 debut album, "Food & Liquor," Chicago-born hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco is back with his sophomore effort, "The Cool." Gargoyle staff reporter Jack Snyder enjoyed Lupe's first album, but he has some reservations about the second.

Less than a week ago, Carl Zielinski published his review of The Mars Volta's latest CD, "The Bedlam in Goliath." The album, released on Jan. 29, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200. Today Carl turns his review into an audiocast, including many samples of the band's new material. Listen to his opinions, hear the various samples, and feel free to draw your own conclusions. This is just our third audio review, so even if the music is outside of your normal tastes, we hope you'll give it a listen.

Surrealist rockers The Mars Volta recently released their fourth full-length, "The Bedlam in Goliath." Does the band make good on their previous efforts to alter musical perception as we know it? Read on to find out.

Two days ago, Carl Zielinski published his review of The Ocean Collective's latest CD, "Precambrian." Today he turns his review into an audiocast, including many samples of the band's new material. Listen to Carl's opinions, hear the various samples and feel free to draw your own conclusions. This is only the second OG audio review, so even if the music is outside of your normal tastes we hope that you'll give it a listen.