Spiral Shadow, the fifth record by Georgia post-hardcore band Kylesa, gets a handy summary statement at about the halfway mark: "Keep moving, don't look back/ Keep moving, don't look back." They know that of which they growl: Since their 2002 debut, the group has been relentless in their pursuit of new ways to erase and redraw a metal blueprint that most other bands map out in pen. Their best trick is their ability to write songs that thrive on the tension of warring extremes: the push/pull that exists between Laura Pleasants's despondent, fallen-angel moan and Philip Cope's hard-charging, thumbtack-gargling growl; the way Pleasants's fluid guitar leads float above the bands gravel 'n' soot riffing. There's a sense of restlessness that comes from dealing in such dueling polarities, and Kylesa's relentless determination to force those extremes to co-exist — and succeeding more often than not — is one of the things that makes them so thrilling. That, and the fact that they write songs that are both brutal and hooky, as likely to punch you in the face as ask you out for dinner. If you’re looking for a benchmark: The fact that they have two drummers is, incredibly, the least… read more »