There must be something in the water in Chicago that is causing it to be America’s new heavy metal capital. The list of insanely great bands hailing from the windy city is as long as your arm, and growing seemingly by the minute. At the forefront of that movement is a doomy, post-metal band that call themselves The Atlas Moth. Their sound manages to be both ethereal and crushingly heavy, while always maintaining an element of (dare I say it?) beauty.

Today’s Massive Metal Monday track “The Sea Beyond” is taken from The Atlas Moth’s third full length album The Old Believer. It is a concept album that deals with the emotions surrounding the death of singer/guitarist Stavros Giannopoulos‘ mother.

The rest of Atlas Moth’s talent are Alex Klein (Bass), David Kush (Guitar, Vocals), Dan Lasek (Drums), and Andrew Ragin (Guitar).

Check out “The Sea Beyond” here below and if you like what you’re hearing I strongly recommend delving into the band’s back catalog. You can thank me later.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Aug 17 Club Dada Dallas, TX
Aug 18 Empire Control Room Austin, TX
Aug 19 Rudyard’s British Pub Houston, TX
Aug 20 Siberia Nola New Orleans, LA
Aug 21 Masquerade Atlanta, GA
Aug 22 The Orpheum Tampa, FL
Aug 25 Saint Vitus Bar New York, NY
Aug 26 Great Scott Boston, MA
Aug 27 Metro Gallery Baltimore, MD

[Source: The Atlas Moth FB]

When I was growing up in rural Indiana in the early ’80s, there was very limited access to heavy music. These were the days before MTV blew up with the whole hair metal, Headbangers Ball phenomenon. But on Sunday nights, there was a two-hour radio show that came from WOXY, just across the state line in Oxford, Ohio (home of Miami University of Ohio). It was called Massive Metal for the Masses, and I would wait all week for it to air. It was through this show that I was introduced to bands like Venom, Bathory, WASP, Michael Schenker Group, Slayer, and countless others. This Monday weekly column is my tip of the hat to that show. I call it Massive Metal Monday. Every week, I will pay tribute to defining moments by the artists that laid the groundwork for heavy metal to become the worldwide cultural bond for all of us metal heads.