Each week we’ll run out onto our website stage like roadies and review the latest Rock Band Downloadable Content. Check back every week! (And click here for all of our previous music DLC reviews.)

*NOTE: Each of the songs in this week’s selection costs 160 Microsoft Points ($2). They are also available as the Earache Thrash Pack 01 for 440 points.

Thrash Pack

WHAT ROCKS: To quote our old animated friend Rocket J. Squirrel, "And now for something completely different." Odds are, you haven't heard of the trio of bands in this week's Thrash Pack, but you'll come to know and respect them rather quickly. We love that the death metal riffs of The Haunted, At the Gates, and Evile represent a genre previously unaccounted for in Rock Band. Indeed, it would be foolish to lump these in with the heavy-metal musings of Metallica and Iron Maiden. These tunes are growl-voiced, drum-pounding, up-strumming ball-breakers — perfect for those who find Rock Band too easy. Evile's "Thrasher" is the hardest of them all (if you can't upstrum on bass or guitar, you will fail...but then again, you may very well fail anyway), and to get your foursome through the song, you'll need to rely on your band members to activate their energy at the right times. But when you finally do, odds are you'll react just as we did: by giving each other high-fives. You'll feel a genuine accomplishment when you finish these tracks.

WHAT SUCKS: We were bothered by the mixes on each of the songs. It was difficult for the drummer and guitarist to hear their parts, making it tough to keep up with the beat on occasion. In addition, the extreme challenge is simply going to turn off a lot of people — particularly when these tunes turn up in your Band World Tour sessions.

FINAL VERDICT: Okay, Harmonix, you have your street cred back. Your game can be incredibly challenging too, just like Guitar Hero III. Can we get back to having more casual fun now?