No Through Road.

"I see all my favourite musicians, when they're 30, just turn to shit," exclaims Matt Banham, regretfully. "I've got five more years, so I just want to get out and write as much as I can. I want to make good art..."

Early Man
Closing In
Matador/Remote Control/Inertia

Early Man are my new heroes. In a world being over-run by two-pieces peddling primitive garage-blues, Early Man arrive peddling heavy metal. Yep, this is a two-piece metal band and they are fierce. Their record company claim they're "the epitome of what once was great in Heavy Metal" and, for once, they're not far wrong.

This is metal without the irony. It's played straight, and it's played because it rocks...

All the votes have been tallied, the awards have been presented and the free finger food has been finished off...

Find out who you, the beloved dB readership thought were the best of SA for 2005...