On 2012’s Yellow & Green, Savannah, Georgia, heavy metal band Baroness toned down the sludge of their previous records and explored their sharp instinct for melody. A year later, Bay Area howlers Deafheaven scored big with their album Sunbather, a beautiful collision of black metal and shoegaze. And in 2016, it was Zeal and Ardor’s turn to attract fans with their fusion of blues, soul, metal, and Black spirituals. All three bands have made good records since their breakthroughs, and now they’re on tour together. Cynics might call this “hipster metal,” but you can call it one of the best heavy tours to hit Portland this year.

by Ben Salmon