METAL | Battlecross 

Detroit's more recent musical exports have largely carried a dark and nihilistic aura. Hip-hop's resident goth kid, Danny Brown, has spent the better part of a decade begging to fall into a "kush coma." And the glassy-eyed Protomartyr have won no shortage of fans with its monotone doomsaying. In a regional scene dominated by such bleak offerings, Battlecross' triumphant thrash metal anthems are in a class of their own. The band's most recent LP, 2015's "Rise to Power," is flush with images of battle-scared warriors rising above seemingly insurmountable adversity. Songs carry titles like "The Climb," "Not Your Slave," and "The Path," and just about every single one of them features at least one ripping major key guitar solo. It's empowering, uplifting music, and it's more than welcome in these increasingly dark and confusing times.

— BY ALEXANDER JONES