Savannah, GA · sludge metal · psych metal

Kylesa

2 upcoming festivals

Savannah sludge-psych institution — dual drummers, buzzsaw riffs, and swirling psychedelia, returned from a long hiatus with the heaviness intact.

Kylesa formed in Savannah, Georgia in 2001, emerging from the same regional scene that produced Baroness and Black Tusk. The band built its sound on sludge metal's thick, downtuned riffing, but pulled it toward stoner rock and psychedelia, with traded vocals between Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants giving the songs two distinct centres of gravity.

For a stretch of its career the group performed with two drummers at once, a setup that became one of its identifying features live and on record. Later albums leaned further into atmosphere and effects-heavy guitar work while keeping the low-end weight intact. Kylesa went on hiatus in the later 2010s.

sludge metalpsych metal