“It’s a triangle – gear, hands, feel. Where do they meet? What feels right, sounds sick, and is helping you play better?”: Varials’ Shane Lyons believes the band's new album is an “ear assault” that defines their pummeling sound

Black and white image of Varials guitarist Shane Lyons playing onstage.

In case titles like I Suffocate, Bleeding, and Deathsong aren’t enough to tip you off, Varials’ music isn’t all Christmas cards and kittens. Best filed under “uneasy listening,” the Philadelphia outfit’s pummeling metalcore is well suited to its dark lyrics, which tackle subjects like mental illness, suicide, addiction, anxiety, and depression.

Fourth album Where the Light Leaves is easily their heaviest output yet. Guitarist Shane Lyons plays like a man who learned his craft from a detuned power drill. Meanwhile, new vocalist Skyler Conder sounds like he’s picking a fight with the idea of a hummable melody, egged on by the chest-beating rhythms of bassist Mike Foley and drummer Sean Rauchut.