Valient Thorr

Although Warped Tour lineups differ from year to year, plenty of the acts on them are essentially interchangeable. But not Warped vets Valient Thorr, appearing here with Early Man and Speed Wolf. The band is from North Carolina by way of outer space (the players have constructed an amusingly overcooked personal cosmology involving a time machine, Venusian babies and Walt Disney), with each member taking the surname "Thorr" for reasons that have more to do with sensibility than sense. Sonically, meanwhile, the group exists in the twilight zone where modern rock and old-school metal overlap. Take "Parable of Daedalus" (from the CD Immortalizer), which juxtaposes overamped lyrics such as "Don't you fly too high!/'Cuz it's a long way down!" with crazed boogie riffs that seem to be fueled by moonshine. A lot of the music comes across as a goof, albeit a very entertaining one that won't be confused with the emo flavor of the week.