Tombs

Taking cues from post-metal, hardcore, sludge, black metal and noise rock, these explorative Brooklynites play sonic Tetris on their Relapse debut, and the resulting tour de force finds every single sound perfectly wedged in. Starting with the heavy introspection "Gossamer" and ending with the atmospheric outro "Old Dominion," the cloudy tome Winter Hours -- though packed with bleak melodies and melancholic undertones -- is engaging and innovative from start to finish.