Agalloch + Worm Ouroboros

Though it formed back in ’95, Portland, OR's Agalloch didn't attain underground-heavyweight status until 2010. Just about every major metal outlet tagged Agalloch's fourth LP, Marrow of the Spirit, as album of the year. It's easy to see why fans of the grim and epic would eat up Marrow's fusion of headlong black metal and wintry folk. Yet the band comes off as more by-the-numbers than the critics might have you believe. Get there early to catch San Francisco's powerfully spooky Worm Ouroboros, which pairs downcast doom with ethereal female vocals.