The fifth studio outing from Welsh rockers Lostprophets strikes a nice balance between the metallic fury and desperation of their 2001 debut, Fake Sound of Progress, and the slicker, more commercial sound of 2009's Betrayed.

Typically polished and predictably apocalyptic, Weapons works best when it's firing on all cylinders.

Tracks like "We Bring an Arsenal" and "Better Off Dead," the latter of which suggests an industrial, chrome-drunk take on the dystopian Godfathers classic "Birth, School, Work, Death," bristle with electro-metal goodness, fusing Muse's libertine enthusiasm with Green Day's flair for rousing suburban angst.

"Jesus Walks" aims for Arcade Fire-style grandiosity, but falls a hair short, while "Another Shot" introduces a majestic chord progression that suffers beneath the weight of an uninspiring chorus.

While lesser fare -- like "Heart on Loan," "Little Reminder That I'll Never Forget," and the cringe-worthy ballad "Somedays" -- feels less immediate, trading in urgency for rote, emo-fueled angst that feels out of sorts with the rest of the album, Lostprophets still sound hungry and confident, and when they stick the landing, as is the case with the relentless single "Bring 'Em Down," it leaves a mark.