Pelican

Forever Becoming (Southern Lord)

Hardly the sole rock band to discover that heavy sounds better sans an annoying frontman, Pelican gets downright artistic about its “post metal” on fifth LP Forever Becoming. The Chicago quartet morphs the heavy crush of doom into compositions, and its ability to lay down the crunge in a painterly manner unfolds mighty and impressive. “Immutable Dusk” switches from snarling squall to shimmering seethe with unnoticeable edits. “Threnody” shifts dynamics over a brooding melody with masterful grace, led by drummer Larry Herweg’s swinging thrum. “Vestiges” combines finely crafted dissonance with balls-to-the-wall drive, while “The Tundra” echoes the cold wasteland implied by the title while still reveling in hot-blooded power. Forever Becoming shines as an example of heavy metal art. (Saturday, 4:20pm, Black stage)

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This article appears in November 8 • 2013.

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Michael Toland started writing about music in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, moved to Austin in early 1991, and has inflicted bylines upon the corporeal and digital pages of Pop Culture Press, The Big Takeover, Blurt, Amplifier, Austin.citysearch, the Austin American Statesman, Goldmine, Sleazegrinder, Rock & Roll Globe, High Bias, FHT Music Notes, and, since 2011, The Austin Chronicle.