A HAUNTED MANTRA Charlotte’s Haunted Mantra plays a unique brand of melodic death metal, foregoing high-pitched power-chord shredding for a heavier, doomier sound, and even skewing into acoustic territory when the mood strikes. But don’t let that fool you into thinking this foursome is soft. With hard-hitting drums, frenzied guitars and a lead singer with a low growl straight out of hell, Haunted Mantra delivers aggressive, technically precise music for the headbanging set. (Rachel Bailey)