​The San Francisco based metal, math rock band​, Aberrant Phase​ ​is gearing up to release a new album entitled, Below. This dark, merky metal record will appropriately be released next month on Halloween. You can get a taste of Below's vibe and tone by checking out their new single, Anodyne​. Enjoy the new music and support independent musicians!​

We are here, desperately tapping the big HELP button on our Life Alert pendant because the latest release from NYC's Bangladeafy has left us bowled over on the floor. Narcopaloma, the band's newest EP, is an unrelenting chaos machine, delivering proggy riffage at its absolute best--there's not a single passage on here that feels either half baked or overworked. The duo of Jon Ehlers and Atif Haq also drop such technically intense licks that any four-piece band would be left eating their dust. Make no mistake, Narcopaloma is a mammoth work (well deserving of multiple listens), but it manages to feel consistently innovative rather than overly indulgent. The record kicks off with "Termites," a frenzied, sonic bomb that deals in both sledge-hammer, driving, brutishness, and jazzy, finessed grooves. "Act Like An Adult," the album's third track, bursts its way through melodies, and puts Haq's slick drum chops on full display. The EP's devilish bends and turns culminate in "Trillionaire," a tune that somehow forges the band's melodic mathcore affection with Latin-feel ostinato. It's an unlikely match, but then again, there's nothing predictable about this band. Check out "Termites" off Narcopaloma streaming below, and seriously, do yourself a favor and check out Bangladeafy playing with Seven)Suns and Cleric 9/27 at St. Vitus. We'll hedge our bets now that these are guys to watch. - Olivia Sisinni

Boston’s Astronoid interject beautifully dreamy instrumentation and ethereal vocals into black metal on their impressive debut full length Air, which was released in June on the Finnish metal label Blood Music. It cohesively blends shoegaze, thrash, prog-rock, black metal, and punk to form what they call “dream thrash”. While the five-piece embraces the clean atmospheric sounds of post-rock bands like Explosions in the Sky, they also offer a pummeling and swift assault of black metal blast beats that shows off drummer's Matt St. Jean’s solid skills. Instead of resorting to the usual harsh and guttural screams the black metal genre is known for, vocalist Brett Boland uses an elegantly clean vocal delivery that channels the airy sounds of popular shoegaze acts such as Slowdive and Ride. It would be easy to lose sight of their goal on an LP that pulls from an eclectic group of influences, but Astronoid do a fantastic job at forging a sound that stays consistent throughout the album. They will be playing at Great Scott on September 13th in support of Ghost Bath! - John Honan

With rapid-fire menace that hits like a sludge hammer, the trio of Backslider seemingly operates on one mode - full-bore. One can hear their instrumental onslaught approach from as far as those roaring guttural vocals can call out. And the deep-churning backend projects a ferociously imposing ominous tone, ripping through any obstacle that lies in its path with unblinking eyes. Tonight at Union Transfer, they’ll be joined by the primal-passion of apocalyptic grindcore outfit, Secret Cutter, in setting the stage for the possessive thrashing of Virginia’s Pig Desroyer. Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., 8:30pm, $20, All Ages - Michael Colavita

Hilariously showcasing footage from Perry Shall’s bar mitzvah in 1998 (filmed by Joe Grisafi), the new music video for Hound’s “Cold Blooded” gets weird in a raging, good-natured way. Found on their 2015 release Out Of Space (SRA Records), the power trio's blistering, full-go sonic mentality unites with Mike Simpson’s editing prowess, creating candid moments by zooming in at opportune times, establishing a new contextual framework. You can catch Hound at Ortlieb's on Friday, November 11 with Ape!, Tournament, and ToWer.