Cave In

A pair of major-label misfires confused longtime fans and turned this bone-crunching Massachusetts quartet into so much pop pabulum, but Cave In has righted their thunderous course with the recent Perfect Pitch Black. Never content to simply play along with the often-generic metal genre, Cave In mixes progressive touches a la Pink Floyd with their propulsive riffing, and the results are such lengthy heavyweights as "The World is in Your Way" and "Tension in the Ranks." "Paranormal" features front man Stephen Brodsky's remarkable range, swaying all the way between Radiohead and the more common, well, Beelzebub-meets-Cookie-Monster gurgle. Such metalcore redemption is just the thing to keep a headbanger happy for the holidays.