Himsa COURTING TRAGEDY AND DISASTER (Prosthetic)

Four years ago, when the first Himsa album came out on Revelation, metalcore had yet to reach its full melodic potential. Since then, the Seattle band have revamped their line-up, upgraded their label, and changed with the times by unleashing their inner Iron Maiden.

Cynics might smell opportunism, especially since new frontman John Pettibone’s Danzig hairstyle and the new disc’s Suicide Girls artwork are as trendy as it gets. But Himsa’s smart macabre anthems and relentless attack should silence the haters. First single "Rain to the Sound of Panic" drops the gloves with a sly Nirvana reference ("Suspicious irony drowned deep in territorial pissings") and fun thrash riffs worthy of scene heavyweights Shadows Fall and Lamb of God. In the sometimes homogenous world of metalcore, these guys stand out: Pettibone’s voice is gruff but intelligible, and the guitar solos erupt in a frenzy of wah-wah and finger tapping. "Kiss or Kill" is death emo at its most demented; "It’s Nights like This That Keep Us Alive" is a delirious road-warrior gallop. To paraphrase the title of their first album: Himsa aren’t exactly breaking new ground — but a lot of other metalcore bands probably wish they could evolve with this much grace.

(Himsa open for Sworn Enemy this Tuesday, February 17, at Axis, 13 Lansdowne Street in Boston; call 617-262-2437. They also open for Bleeding Through on Tuesday April 6 at the Palladium in Worcester; call 508-797-9696.)