In a genre that stresses heaviness, riffs, chops, and menace above all else, Georgia-based Kylesa is something of a rarity.
The five-piece psychedelic-metal band is most notable for its strong sense of melody and dynamics within undeniable heaviness, and that's partly a function of having three vocalists (including a woman!) and two drummers. But Kylesa is greater than the sum of those parts, commanding a wider range of feelings and textures than most metal bands even attempt, let alone pull off. They caress listeners while still bludgeoning them, often at the same time and rarely straining.
Playing RIBCO on October 8 as part of the Sanctioned Annihilation Tour with High on Fire and Torche, Kylesa is poised to release the majestic, thunderous Spiral Shadow on October 26, and it might be my favorite metal album in years.
