Soil’s new frontman, A.J. Cavalier, boasts a larger range of influences than his predecessor. He also doesn’t whine as much. On the Chicago band’s latest album, True Self, metallic crunch gives way to melodic momentum and the occasional dinosaur-sized stomp. “The Last Chance,” “Forever Dead,” and “Threw It Away” struggle with defeat, but they’re not going down without a fight. Tourmates Ligion chart a similar path on their debut CD, External Affairs. The Nashville-based rockers toss back traditional blue-collar rock with a shot of Southern attitude. Don’t let cuts like “Weak (the Internal War)” and “For You” fool you. These guys are bulldozing badasses without a care in the world.
Fri., May 4, 7 p.m.
