Children

NYC-based Children combine new-school thrash metal with new wave of British heavy metal guitars (uniformly great twin guitar runs), hardcore-inflected vocals and ambitious songs (only one of them is under five minutes). Their first record is exquisitely produced, and the first-rate playing keeps you in air-guitar mode the whole time. You might get the feeling that these are just cool kids who play metal now and then, but the shift halfway through "Nuclear Bummer" is so fun that you'll stop caring about any so-called legitimacy.