Colin Dempsey

The New York-based avant-garde metal trio aims to tell the story of their home city, taking aesthetic inspiration from its near-mythical past. This edition of Piercing the Veil explores the band's musical and conceptual ties to the Big Apple.

Combining impossibly groovy stoner metal with a fantastical amphibian concept grounded in eco-conservatism, the UK's Froglord is an ideal starting point for this column, which dives deep into thematic bands that are more than just a gimmick.

The Dallas experimental group goes 8-bit on their latest album, blending chiptune, black metal, and more into an exhilarating and surprisingly deep concept album.

Globally disparate black metal acts Awicha and Galpedar join forces for a blistering, jam-packed black metal split. Check out our review of the split.