Plenty of metal bands play heavy riffs, but the four men comprising Intronaut layer those riffs with a stunning musical dexterity. Albums like 2013's Habitual Levitations show a group walking a delicate balance between stoner-doom and polyrhythmic jazz-fusion structures. They're able to pull it off because guitarists/vocalists Sacha Dunable and Dave Timnick roar mightily and rain down riffs that appeal to fans of acts like Mastodon and Isis. Bassist Joe Lester provides a strong underpinning that makes one want to head-bang — without losing the groove. Drummer Danny Walker, meanwhile, is one of the most versatile percussionists in metal, able to transition seamlessly from ferocious, double-bass pounding to the slower stuff. Pretty impressive. intronautofficial.com. —Jason Roche

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