DANGER HAILSTORM

Self-awareness can only succeed in two musical genres: novelty and metal, and there are some really good bands that border on both (think The Darkness). In an age of stuffy indie-domination, no band can play balls-to-the-wall rock music and expect to be taken 100 percent seriously. Danger Hailstorm knows this—which makes them this year’s most enjoyable listen so far. The quartet, led by the prolific Terrance DH (The Stench, Magstatic), take every sub-genre of metal—including heavy doses of early-’90s pre-grunge—and mix it in a large vat of testosterone. Ditching his usual-harmonic vocals, DH summons every ounce of damnation to sound threatening, cutting up his voice when singing “Here’s the wrath of the cold-blooded killaah!” Yes, at times it can be a bit silly, especially during a song about being “baptized in rattlesnake water,” but there’s no point in telling someone he looks silly while he’s kicking your ass. Danger Hailstorm is rock band from Salt Lake City consisting of ex members of The Stench/ Bad Yodelers/ Magstatic.