The Atlas Moth The Old Believer

Three years after their breakout sophomore album An Ache for the Distance, Chicago metal quintet the Atlas Moth return with The Old Believer, out later this year through Profound Lore. Vocalist and guitarist Stavros Giannopoulos doesn't have a lot to be angry about these days—he managed to play a fest with rivals Emmure unscathed, and on Twilight's III: Beneath Trident's Tomb, he got to make a black metal album with Thurston Moore. Perhaps that's why there's more emphasis on letting other members—especially guitarist David Kush—contribute vocals on the new album, and this direction is pretty clear on "Collider," the second track on An Old Believer. "Collider" is one of the group's tightest, most composed songs yet, especially compared to anything from their album, 2009's A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky. The guitars still have that sludged-out Deftones feel—hooky but not polished enough for radio—and Giannopoulos' black metal shriek still sounds vicious, with a little of that road dog touch he's been cultivating.

- Pitchfork