In 1997, Failure could not have been more aptly named. Emotionally beleaguered and commercially stalled despite tours with Tool and critical acclaim, the space-rock trio split while just hitting a peak of inflammatory riffs and ignitable textures. Now, 19 years later, the reunited band's fourth album, The Heart is a Monster, effortlessly segues from 1996's Fantastic Planet, ramping up influences from the proggier sounds of the '70s alongside '90s post-rock. Live, Failure delivers like studio perfectionists, achieving fleckless synchronicity aided by iPad cues and a triptych of celestial video backdrops. It's not the most exciting sight, but it's a staggeringly pressurized experience. With this stroboscopic music, it's better to just close your eyes and let the patterns splash your ears while alternating between crystalline weightlessness and buffeting crunch. It's an "all ages" (6 and up) show too, so there won't be any screaming babies to ruin your time.
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