Local metal gods Baroness just shared a new music video for the track "Try To Disappear," found on the band's latest album Purple, the group's first since its horrific tour bus accident in 2012. Director Jimmy Hubbard pieces together live performance footage and backstage moments to capture the energy of a Baroness show. The band is currently on the road heading through the South, and will be back in the PA area on Saturday, September 17 for the Monster Energy Rock Allegiance Festival at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, PA. (Photo by Jimmy Hubbard)

The indie rock and black metal worlds don’t come together often, but Imaginary Hockey League have proven that when they do, it can be a wonderfully weird combination. On their album We’ll Get Better One Day, the outspoken transgender punks ambitiously mix pop-punk, emo, black metal, and hardcore. I Promise. Most of the songs are over the four minute mark and are packed with tonal shifts that feel extremely natural even when they shouldn’t. The opening track, and shortest track, starts off with an instrumental post-rock vibe similar to Explosions in the sky before spiraling into a poppy punk track that examines vocalist Chaz Monroe Atkinson’s desire to watch anime in bed instead of growing up and build their resume. The most interesting track on the album “Six Feet Under Frost” begins as strict black metal track with harsh vocals and speedy drums until it slows down the tempo with clean vocals and guitar tones. Imaginary Hockey League experiment with many different genres on the record, and they make it work in a natural way that never feels forced. They will be playing Braceface House in Laurel, MD on September 19th. - John Honan, photo by Daniel Cannistra.

There was a time where the metalheads and hardcore kids were separated by their tastes in music and fashion, but as time went on hardcore bands such as Cro-Mags, Sick of It All, and Agnostic Front began to blur the lines between the two genres by releasing metal influenced hardcore records. Today’s hardcore scene is dominated by metalcore bands, and Brooklyn’s White Widows Pact are one of the more pummeling and interesting acts in this scene. On their debut full length True Will the quintet fuses the 90’s death metal and sludge metal with the groove of classic New York Hardcore bands like Madball and Biohazard. Frontman David Castillo’s (also of Primitive Weapons and co-owner of St. Vitus) lyrics are deeply personal, and are delivered in a throat shredding and vehement manner. White Widows Pact will be playing St. Vitus on August 22nd in support of one of their main influencers - Madball! - John Honan

Over the years metal and its sub genres have progressed and increased in complexity thanks to the inspiration from bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan, Napalm Death, Deathspell Omega, and Meshuggah. New York’s Imperial Triumphant draw on the experimentation of these artists for inspiration to blend black metal with classical, death metal, and psychedelic influences. Their latest full length Abyssal Gods is a dark and innovative album that uses well-crafted compositions to take the metal sound in new directions. The record's message focuses on the eventual extinction of mankind, which is rather appropriate, since the album's eerie mood would be the perfect soundtrack to the apocalypse. The group's drummer Alex Cohen wields a manic and diverse style of playing, due to his background in jazz, that is the backbone of their sound. In the record, Imperial Triumphant fearlessly pushes the envelop in every song with carefully crafted guitar tones, uniquely arranged piano pieces, complex tempo alternations, angular sections borrowed from math rock, and overall outstanding production values - this is a brutal record that's actually easy on the ears. Those enjoyng this kind of music shouldn't miss their show at Trans Pecos on August 19th! - John Honan

 PDX Pop Now's 2016 festival weekend is coming to a close and with its posted lineup, it'll be ending on a high note. Youth bands Fossa Club and the Living Skins open up this sunny Sunday, leading into the blowing up and of Blowout.

Cilantro will be offering a more worldly spice, followed up by a lively punked fueled performance from Bobby Peru.

Deli Portland favorites A Volcano, Force Publique and Cat Hoch have slots on the closing day, along with experimental noise act Consumer, who shared his spontaneous sounds on the PDX Pop segment featured on KATU.

Renaissance Coalition breakout artist Maze Koroma will spit some mad flows just before one of Portland's current biggest bands Summer Cannibals closes out this year's fest just before the 10 o' clock hour.

This year's PDX Pop Now festival was one of the best to date, with an outstanding turnout backing one of the most diverse lineups in its history. It'll be exciting to see what the non-profit has up its sleeve next.