Early Man w/ Evile, Bonded by Blood and Woe of Tyrants

The Los Angeles band Early Man’s take on heavy metal can be described in one word: traditional. Drawing from metal’s most tried-and-true influences (Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Megadeth) and sticking to the genre’s signature subject matter (death, in all its forms), the band stood up for metal in its purist form at a time when metal’s most lauded bands were more interested in reinventing the genre. That made them instant heroes in metal circles. The group’s latest record is this year’s Death Potion.