Serpent Throne – None Shall Pass at June 12

Citing Black Sabbath and the Dark Lord of the Underworld (and in the Church Lady-est voice in my head, “mmm…Satan”) as influences, local instrumental four-piece Serpent Throne is an aural work out in epic ruthlessness. With 2007’s Ride Satan Ride and 2009’s The Battle of Old Crow (available on Philly’s Vessel Records), the stoner act fuses twisting arrangements, leaden drum batters and mammoth guitar riffs to construct valiantly protracted oeuvres or in short, music so much bigger than the body it escapes the physical realm. No, seriously – see for yourself tonight at the M Room, where they’ll play alongside the ambitious hometown power-trio Gondola, and Los Angeles-based psychedelic hard rock throwback Dead Meadow. M Room, 15 W. Girard Ave, 9 pm, $12,  21+ – Annamarya Scaccia