Ed Gein

Doubling up on guitarists is commonplace in the metal realm, but Ed Gein is anything but ordinary. Maybe that's why instead of having a guitar duo, the Syracuse, New York, grind-metal band opted for a trio of vocalists. Okay, so there are only three people in the band, but these guys pull off the screaming growls whilst assaulting listeners with blast beats, dark bass lines and uncompromising guitar riffs. With all that work, it makes sense that Ed Gein's songs are barely a minute long -- same premise as Pig Destroyer, but not as noisy. These guys aren't just screaming, though. Ed Gein's lyrics, primarily written by bassist Aaron Jenkins, are politically charged and oozing with social commentary. The band has no problem taking on big topics like racism in America. In "Small Towns, Small Minds," the band members scream, "I won't stand here and watch you draw lines in the sand and divide us up by color. . . . Fuck your ignorant Confederate culture." Ed Gein's messages always come through clearly, but if you're not much of a sociopolitical type, you can still just head-bang until your neck snaps.