Merchnow Presents: Polyphia @ Slim's w/ Hail The Sun, Covet

Polyphia is not only the biggest, but also the best metal band in the world. No other act has managed to marry a masterful command of melody with hip hop rhythms and dark and sinister tones in such an enticing way – and they’ve done so without the crutch of sing-along vocals. In challenging the generally accepted constant that dark and technical music has to be atonal and undanceable, the four members of Polyphia have done their part to advance the world of instrumental rock in a manner that has seldom been matched in the history of the genre.

On the band’s greatly anticipated new full-length, New Levels New Devils, Polyphia have taken yet another defiant leap forward. The band has made a conscious effort to replace distorted guitars and epic breakdowns with a soundscape of bass-heavy trap music, which guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage explore with their virtuosic guitarwork. While a lot of the beats originated in the studio and utilize techniques usually associated with hip hop production, Polyphia’s formidable rhythm section of Clay Gober and Clay Aeschliman did a remarkable job of recreating them on bass and drums respectively. This gave the album a more organic quality that allowed them to achieve a high degree of cohesiveness, despite having worked with a handful of top-tier producers in studios ranging from Los Angeles to their hometown of Dallas, Texas.

On New Levels New Devils, the band meticulously chose their collaborators to ensure that each guest appearance would work towards helping make it the best effort of Polyphia’s career.