NAPALM DEATH Undeniably one of the most menacing and uncompromising bands in the land of metal, Napalm Death birthed grindcore nearly 30 years ago. It's been a quarter century since the band's groundbreaking (and ground-shaking) debut recording, and the blokes from Birmingham, U.K., continue to mutate young minds with their noise. The band's recent, 15th studio outing, Utilitarian, is evidence the music hasn't gotten any mellower with age. The breakneck riffing, piercing growling and machine-gun drumming are fully intact while lyrics attacking weasels in politics and religion stitch it all together. The band members' varied influences and tastes drizzle into their songs with avant garde flourishes amidst the mayhem, and while most songs are short and spastic, expect an occasional five-minute dirge, which is practically an epic in the world of Napalm Death. Also on the bill are Municipal Waste, Exhumed and Speedwolf.

Samir Shukla

Price: $15