Screaming in the Dark: Skramz, Sludge, and Darkwave Haunt Chicago's Underground

Chicago's underbelly is vibrating with raw, cathartic energy this week, starting with a masterclass in emotional devastation at the Bottom Lounge on Tuesday. Seoul's shoegaze and slowcore visionary Asian Glow joins forces with fifth-wave emo and skramz pioneer your arms are my cocoon. Expect a dizzying blend of tape-saturated nostalgia, fragile bedroom-pop textures, and explosive, throat-shredding crescendos that redefine the boundaries of modern DIY screamo.

If your taste leans toward absolute sonic obliteration, Wednesday night at The Burlington is your inevitable destination. Massachusetts sludge metal juggernauts Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean are set to drag the room into a slow-motion abyss of down-tuned doom metal. Bolstered by the abrasive, confrontational noise rock of Intercourse and Wretched Blessing's blackened hardcore punk, this gig is a claustrophobic, feedback-drenched rite of passage for the heavy-hearted.

Finally, purge your sins on Sunday at Reggies with a double-dose of theatrical extremity. Los Angeles darkwave and industrial provocateur Patriarchy brings her confrontational, sample-heavy electronic goth-punk to the stage, sharing a blasphemous bill with Norway's Witch Club Satan. Merging raw, old-school black metal with radical feminist performance art, this lineup promises a ritualistic, high-concept sonic assault that will leave the venue smelling of sulfur and sweat.