Genre definitions can be tricky. Although Rings of Saturn are fond of calling themselves purveyors of "aliencore" — a somewhat cheeky tag based around the group's penchant for fantastical lyrics about extraterrestrial life — the Bay Area–based band is serious about their technically minded metal sound. Video game–esque synth programming and intricate guitar riffage collide with guttural vocal growls in songs that speed by at breakneck tempos. The end result falls somewhere between frantic metallic thrashing and macabre mosh pit tunes.

Lucas Mann originally formed Rings of Saturn as a solo studio project in 2009, when he was still in high school. In fact, he wrote and arranged all the music on what became the band's first album, the self-released 2010 effort Embryonic Anomaly, by himself. Over the years, across several full-length efforts, Mann and a series of collaborators have continued to craft boundary-busting metal overflowing with aggression and enigmatic lyrics. Yet Rings of Saturn resist being pigeonholed: In 2016, the band inked a deal with the well-respected label Nuclear Blast, which released the 2017 full-length Ultu Ulla. That album is Rings of Saturn's most ambitious effort yet, from its diverse arrangements to unexpected influences; for example, the one-minute interlude "Unallowed" boasts Spanish guitar inflections.

Live, Rings of Saturn capture the mayhem of their albums with gleeful ease. Band members slash and burn through songs without resorting to gimmicks or clichés; instead, they favor propulsive playing that's full of sharp edges and confrontational tones, and it causes the audience to respond with visceral aggression. Unsurprisingly, the group has found a home opening for other respected heavyweights, including Whitechapel, The Faceless, Suicide Silence, Volumes, and Attila. Going forward, Rings of Saturn's uncompromising sound will only take the band to even more prestigious places — if not outer space, then most definitely somewhere completely out of this world.