Nightosaur

There’s something cartoonish about the local headbangers of Nightosaur, but that shouldn’t subtract from how thoroughly they kick ass. Shirtless and long-haired, the metal quartet bills itself as “dyno sludge/fossil rock.” That’s a stab at critics’ overzealous genre-tabbing, sure; it’s also a not-half-bad descriptor of Nightosaur’s music. With over-the-top medieval lyrics, indulgent soloing, and a brutal, chugging pace, the band oozes rock ’n’ spirit. Its latest release, this past summer’s Black Blood Of The Earth, features seven songs that clock in at about 50 minutes.

Updated 11/09/2011