Baroness/Opeth/High on Fire

Along with Mastodon, Kylesa and Harvey Milk, Baroness is one of a mini-wave of terrific metal bands currently roaring out of Savannah, Georgia. Early EPs showed a fair bit of promise, but it wasn't until last year's full-length debut, Red Album, that its sound truly bloomed. Now, the band's mix of psychedelia, doom and raw '70s riffage is one of the most potent combos in contemporary heavy music. It doesn't hurt that Baroness releases look amazing: guitarist/vocalist John Baizley designs them all, and has also done work for, among other bands, Darkest Hour, Pig Destroyer and Torche. They recently hired guitarist Peter Adams to replace drummer Allen Blickle's brother Brian, who's headed to law school. He's getting something of a trial by fire on this tour, as Baroness become the mind-altering, arty-but-crushing bridge between Opeth's tightly controlled prog-death epics and High On Fire's raw blasts of thunder.