Light Pupil Dilate

It’s probably impossible to hail from Atlanta and not be influenced in the least by metal megastars Mastodon but Georgia trio Light Pupil Dilate take a different path on their sophomore release, Snake Wine. Truth be told, opener "Prana” (and later "Poly Viral” and "Phlebitis”) does sound a bit like Mastodon but only from the contact high of co-producer Matt Washburn. "Big Open” has darker Tool overtones with choruses that are plodding yet upbeat, like old Biohazard. It doesn’t hurt that one of the vocalists, either guitarist Eric Searle or bassist Mike Chvasta, sounds like Maynard James Keenan (though weak in his upper registers). The track also has an outro that resembles a Cave In interlude, minus the goofy percussion. After a heady guitar wash, "Boundary Dissolution” sports the same vocal intonation as Traindodge, though the tune is musically like the Jesus Lizard. The Ocean-like "Dive” brandishes a hardy mix of Tool and Cave In harmonics, fading out with King Crimson guitar noodling. LPD combine enough smart rock elements to keep discerning metal heads at bay, panting for more.