LAMB OF GOD
Lamb of God is currently on a rescheduled tour, which was postponed after vocalist Randy Blythe was jailed in Prague in July on manslaughter charges. The arrest stemmed from the death of a fan who landed on his head after Blythe allegedly pushed him off the stage at a previous gig there. Now, Blythe is out on bail and the band is back on the road. The screamer insists he will return to Prague for any court hearings for the case. Meanwhile, the quintet's double-barrel metal is a cauldron of extreme metal genres, where the groove and bombast both converge to make the band one of the most intriguing on the circuit. The new recording, Resolution, is complete in its quest to destroy ear drums and goad testosterone-loaded pummeling in the pit. Also on the bill: In Flames, Hellyeah and Sylosis. $45. Nov. 21, 7 p.m. The Fillmore, 1000 N.C. Music Factory Blvd. 704-549-5555.

KAKI KING
Guitar master Kaki King has spent the nine years since the release of her first album building a reputation as one of the greatest living composers on six strings. And with her most recent release, Glow, she may just have solidified that reputation for good. "This record I made is amazing. I've never said that about anything I've done before," she told a crowd in Bologna, Italy, last March. And she's right. The secret to King's allure lies in her ability to capture emotion in her compositions. She does so masterfully on Glow, from the driving sense of urgency in album opener "Great Round Burn" to the slow, aching "No True Masterpiece Will Ever Be Complete." Stroking, tapping, even slapping her guitar, she makes sounds come out of it most folks would never imagine possible. Her performances are both moving and arresting, the work of a master in her prime. With Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, The Bear Romantic. $15-$17. Nov. 18, 8:30 p.m. Tremont Music Hall, 400 W. Tremont Ave. 704-343-9494.

GROSS GHOST
Mining some of the same fuzzy analog textures as the headliners, frontman Matt Dillon (ex-Spader) and Tre Acklen turned in one of this year's better regional indie pop records with Brer Rabbit. Unlike the Love Language, whose releases so far suggest a limited (if pleasant) palette, these 11 songs drift through a variety of styles with assured ease. There's the dubby syncopation of "Lazy Little Walk" and Jesus & Mary Chain summer jam of "Lurker," as well as Blur-y Brit-pop ("Sooner or Later") and frenetic, reverb-rich Surfer Blood rock ("The Architect"). Dillon's hazy, behind-the-beat vocals suit the garage-y guitars and compressed percussion to a tee, and when they put those components together with an addictive loping melody like "Leslie," you've got all the makings of what used to be known as a big ol' fat radio hit. The Carrboro band is already at work on the follow-up, and don't be surprised if their buzz eventually eclipses the headliners. With the Love Language and the Toddlers. $12-$14. Nov. 17, 10:30 p.m. Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. 704-358-9200.

THE LOVE LANGUAGE
Raleigh's Love Language started not so much as a one-man band as one hot mess. Reeling from a brutal breakup, singer/songwriter/multi-tasker Stuart McLamb hit the booze, hit the skids and landed briefly in jail. Licking his wounds, McLamb recorded a pile of no-budget pop gems that inadvertently became a debut LP. That such miserable beginnings would yield gorgeous ballads and bouncy guitar pop is a minor miracle. That McLamb's songwriting chops are highlighted rather than hindered by a Phil Spector meets Animal Collective wall of gauze - well, that's merely icing on the cake. Described as Big Star meets Guided by Voices on their way to The Band's Big Pink getaway, The Love Language's bubbly concoctions make room for swells of strings, cavernous drums and waves of surf guitar. Touring with a full band, and with sophomore LP Libraries out, McLamb has recently stepped out of his lo-fi comfort zone. The Love Language's new material retains the band's Merseybeat exuberance while gaining a smooth Burt Bacharach-styled sheen. When it all clicks, The Love Language chugs along with addictive pop perfection, suggesting Paul McCartney fronting Arcade Fire at a 1950s sock-hop. With Gross Ghost and The Toddlers. $12-$14. Nov. 17, 10:30 p.m. Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. 704-358-9200.

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE/TIFT MERRITT
Prodigal son of a prodigal father, Justin Townes Earle shares with his old man an air of hard-won wisdom forged from a turbulent past. His old man, of course, is maverick roots rocker Steve Earle, and the elder Earle's deadpan growl echoes in Justin's gravelly, broken-hearted drawl. Still, with other influences ranging from Woody Guthrie to Kurt Cobain, the younger Earle is an artist eternally in transition. His latest LP, Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel about Me Now, finds him stepping away from his early affinity for rockabilly bravado in the direction of Memphis soul. Fittingly recorded in a converted Asheville church, the new material draws heavily from liturgical music, boasting a heavy Hammond B-3 sound. With haunting songs dripping raw self-awareness, Earle has clearly found his voice, but his power lies in the admission that he's still finding his way. Tourmate Tift Merritt emerged from Raleigh's late-'90s alt-country scene, drawing favorable comparisons to Emmylou Harris and finding an early champion in Ryan Adams. Her latest LP is titled Traveling Alone, but lately a lot of folks have been jumping on her bandwagon. Still, acceptance from the orthodox Nashville crowd hasn't blunted the intimate emotional power of Merrittt's songs. $20-$25. Nov. 16, 8 p.m. McGlohon Theater, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000.

CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY: MOZART MASS IN C MINOR
Mozart's Mass in C Minor occupies the same space as his stunning Requiem (my favorite of his works, but no matter): that of expansive compositions, enormous high-classical undertakings, left sadly incomplete. The ambitious Mass, which the Charlotte Symphony presents this weekend, is aptly named - it is liturgical music, meant to mirror, or even score, the elaborate symbolism and ritual of Catholic ceremony. Yet Mozart's Mass also requires a massive amount of people: a full orchestra and oratorio, in addition to multiple soloists. And though this monolithic work was never finished, per se, it does run the essential Mozart gamut of sturm, drang and euphoria - all within a masterful, frankly transcendental tone-scape. $23.50-$83.50. Nov. 16-17, 8 p.m. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000.