Light Pupil Dilate "Snake Wine"

Without rewriting the rules of metal, but by culling the best bits from musically specialized splinter sects, the Mastadons of the world amalgamate an undeniable and rambunctious stew of power and fury. Only a threepiece, Atlanta, Georgia’s Light Pupil Dilate musters more momentum than bands with twice the manpower.

Snake Wine is a twisting work. Michael Green’s massive drumming is the central force, a brutal backing to deft guitar- and bass-work that never pauses to breathe. The shared vocal duties expand the dimensions of the threepiece – Maynard-esque croons to throat-shredding shouts -- but the band's relentless motion belies their limits. From riff arrangements chunkier and heavier than the craggiest mountain ranges (“Phlebitis”) to tech-metal gyrations that spell seizure across fretboards (“Shower Me With Your Love”), Light Pupil Dilate is a no-frills metallic force. The closer, “Dive,” is a diamond in the crunch, creeping toward a punishing, chorus-laden finish. For fans of prefix-free metal, devour the indelible Snake Wine.

Enjoyable only in musical form: Phlebitis

Buy: Snake Wine on Lifeforce Records.