100 Unheralded Albums from 2010

Kylesa: Spiral Shadow

Kylesa: Spiral Shadow (Season of Mist, 10/26/10)

Kylesa: “Tired Climb”

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Savannah sludge-rock quintet Kylesa has garnered a respectable following by combining its core genre with a touch of Southern psych rock and a three-pronged vocal attack.  In 2006, the group added a second drummer/percussionist, bulking up the rhythm section and ratcheting up its live intensity.

Spiral Shadow is Kylesa’s fifth studio album and first on Season of Mist.  It follows the same basic guidelines as its predecessors, but it’s a little more melodic and structured like a rock record.  Long-time fans will pick up the nuanced differences, but regardless, any psych-metal listeners who enjoy straightforward riffs and songwriting should dig Spiral Shadow.