Soilent Green

Soilent Green is angry, frustrated and a bit bitter, judging by its latest album, Confrontation. But this isn't generic "aggressive" music; there are no frivolous lyrics from this band. Soilent Green has had real hardship. The band flipped its van on tour -- twice. The second accident, back in 2002, left vocalist Ben Falgoust unable to walk; it took an arduous bout of physical therapy for him to regain mobility. The details of his frustration are the perfect match to this New Orleans band's unique sludge-meets-grind metal, a signature sound Soilent Green introduced while touring with the likes of Pantera and Napalm Death in the mid-'90s. (Once guitarist Brian Patton's side project eyehategod inked a record deal, he had to do ravenous riff double duty on the road.) Soilent Green has been a staple in the grind scene for more than a decade, and with the sincerity of Confrontation, it's not going anywhere -- as long as it drives carefully.