Intronaut Weld Some Sh*t

Very likely 2013’s earliest candidate for my year-end list, Intronaut’s new album, Habitual Leviations, might most succinctly be described thusly:

Earlier Intronaut Albums x (Meshuggah + Baroness) = Habitual Leviations

“The Welding,” the new Levitations track now streaming at Pitchfork, illustrates this sound perfectly: it begins and ends with an homage to “Future Breed Machine”

Habitual Levitations comes out March 19 on Century. But Danny Walker’s tribal drums and Sacha Dunable’s burly vocals make it clear right quick that the band isn’t taking a trip down Djent Road. Instead, a groovy, almost funky head-bob-inducer of a riff — like a more upbeat version of “The Literal Black Cloud” —  sucks you in and leads you to sections, both soaring and druggy, which would seem more at home at in a Mastodon song than a Veil of Maya tune. By the time the drunk-and-frightened bumble bee leads kick in, you will be in Heavy Metal Valhalla.

This song rules. This whole goddamn album rules.

Listen to “The Welding” here. Habitual Levitations comes out March 19 on Century. The band is currently on the road with Meshuggah and Animals as Leaders; they’re awesome live, and they go on really early, so make sure you get to the venue on time to see ’em! Here are remaining dates:

02/19/13 Sound Academy – Toronto, ON – CANADA
02/20/13 House of Blues – Cleveland, OH
02/21/13 Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH
02/22/13 House of Blues – Chicago, IL
02/23/13 Pop’s – Sauget, IL
02/24/13 Mill City Nights – Minneapolis, MN
02/26/13 Union Hall – Edmonton, AB – CANADA
02/27/13 MacEwan Hall Ballroom – Calgary, AB – CANADA
03/01/13 Ace of Spades – Sacramento, CA
03/02/13 Wiltern Theater – Los Angeles, CA
03/03/13 House of Blues @ Mandalay Bay – Las Vegas, NV