Our Critics' Picks

THURSDAY 11/1

Music

DARK FUNERAL Since its explosion in the early to mid-’90s, black metal has been inextricably linked to Norway, where the genre was made most infamous. But during that same time period, other Scandinavian outposts produced a number of bands rivaling the vitriolic aggression of Mayhem, Darkthrone and Immortal. Towering over them all is Sweden’s Dark Funeral, whose relentless assault helped codify what underground purists would exalt as “tr00” black metal. Concerning themselves less with the atmospherics in which their peers dabbled, Dark Funeral’s steadfast, bludgeoning approach has remained unwavering despite the countless lineup shifts that typically plague this corner of the metal world. Sharing the bill are Daath, whose progressive death metal inhabits the opposite end of the underground extreme metal spectrum. The blackened death metal hybrid of fellow Swedes Naglfar—named after the mythological Nordic ship made from the fingernails and toenails of the dead—serves as the perfect balance between the two, rounding out one of underground metal’s highest-profile tours to visit the city in quite some time. 7 p.m. at The Muse —MATT SULLIVAN

Blood-Soaked Premiere

SHUDDER Aww, how sweet—a family reunion. Alas, there’ll be something meatier than fried chicken on the table, as Nashville writer-director Ben Dixon gathers much of the clan from the original (i.e., the only) Texas Chainsaw Massacre—Gunnar “Leatherface” Hansen, John “Grandpa” Dugan and Edwin “The Hitchhiker” Neal—for a gory tale of a woman recently released from a mental institution who learns her demons aren’t all in her head. Former The Young and the Restless regular Tricia Cast stars, along with Sydnee Riley and longtime Middle Tennessee hard-rocker Clay Brocker from F.U.C.T. The third indie horror film by Lone Wolf tattoo artist Dixon, the film premieres with three showings at the Belcourt; it screens again 10 a.m. Nov. 4 at Mt. Juliet’s Providence 16. Be sure to bring the kids—the family that slays together, stays together. 7, 8:45 & 10 p.m. at the Belcourt Theatre—JIM RIDLEY

Music

GORE GORE GIRLS On their latest Bloodshot Records release Get the Gore, Motor City hellcats Gore Gore Girls fill pentatonic stanzas with proto-punk riffs and snappy guitar lines. Dabbed in thick pancake eyeliner, lead singer Amy Gore is a walking homage to she-woman pulp films. Her richly textured voice is a wall-of-sound wail—a subtle cocktail of surf-pop innocence undercut with a sinewy edge. Sharing the bill with local rock darlings The Clutters, Gore Gore Girls and their fuzzy Gretsch guitars are sure to please. 9 p.m. at The End—JOEY HOOD

Music

THE BLACK ANGELS It’s always a pleasure to hear psychedelic rock that doesn’t beat you over the head. Austin’s Black Angels operate without the forced genre integrity or the fashion pretenses that preoccupy so many of their peers—which is not to say that hardcore fans won’t be pleased. The band’s secret weapon is their ability to cut to psychedelia’s creamy center—that is to say: drone. The music’s cool repetitiveness keeps you rapt, providing thrills and satisfaction superior to those desperately trying to re-create the ’60s. Don’t expect to see the Black Angels in the next Austin Powers movie, and don’t worry about having to feel like you’re in a classroom either. 9 p.m. at Exit/In —SABY REYES-KULKARNI

FRIDAY 11/2

Music

BODIES OF WATER W/PHOSPHORESCENT Both these earnest indie pop acts make music ringing with honesty and ramshackle warmth. Though Bodies of Water’s arrangements can be quite ornate, their backbone is a shambling folk vibe abetted by all four members’ vocals, giving their music a baroque gospel pop feel reminiscent of The Danielson Family or an earthier Polyphonic Spree. But despite the Godspell theatrics, there’s still a driving rock undercurrent preventing the proceedings from getting too twee. Songwriter Matthew Houck’s Phosphorescent have a slower, more cinematic approach, combining rustic rootsiness and expansive psych-folk textures with his lonesome, tenor croon. Houck’s latest, Pride, echoes Bodies of Water in its use of choir vocals, which imbue the album’s wobbly, plaintive epics—half of Pride’s eight tracks exceed six minutes—with a resilient, spiritual aspect. 9 p.m. at the Boro —CHRIS PARKER

Music

COUNT BASS DMaybe it’s the severe bling deficiency or the refusal to follow record company success ladders, but it seems like underground hip-hop may never find a place with mainstream audiences. The same goes for Nashville resident MC, producer and multi-instrumentalist Dwight C. Ferrell, a.k.a. Count Bass D. In the game for a decade-and-a-half, the Count has issued a slew of acclaimed, brazenly original material and ventured on several world tours, but has yet to gain any widespread recognition. Since getting dropped by Sony 10 years ago, he has continued to delight critics and elude airplay. His latest, Act Your Waist Size, continues to ignore radio trends and eschew sampling in favor of esoteric instrumentation and his trademark offbeat Southern grooves. 9 p.m. at The Rutledge—SETH GRAVES