Sweden has a propensity for breeding gloomy metal bands, and Opeth are no exception. Catch them at Mac Hall this weekend

Metal fans, rejoice — the time of the rocking is upon you. This week sees some of the genre’s giants heading to town for a pair of shows that are destined to shatter eardrums and lay waste to frenzied fans. Prog powerhouse Dream Theater is headlining this year’s Progressive Nation tour, hitting MacEwan Hall this Friday and Saturday. They’ll be joined by death-metal-influenced Swedes Opeth, New York quintet 3 and relative newcomers Between the Buried and Me. With almost 60 years of combined experience between the five acts, it’s hard to imagine this one disappointing.

Speaking of experience, thrash pioneers Megadeth are celebrating 25 years of frantic soloing (not counting the two-year breakup early this decade due to founder Dave Mustaine’s arm injury) by headlining Gigantour. When it comes to metal’s elder statesmen, it’s hard to find an act more esteemed than Megadeth, so the rest of the tour can be forgiven for slanting towards younger acts like American deathcore outfit Job for a Cowboy and Finland’s Children of Bodom. In Flames and High on Fire round out the pummelling lineup.

With a name like Destroyer, Dan Bejar’s solo project sounds like it could fit comfortably in either of these metal showcases, but the occasional New Pornographer likely wouldn’t fare well in front of such bloodthirsty crowds. His skewed, literary indie-pop is more suited to venues like Grace Presbyterian Church, where he played at last year’s Sled Island festival. The Vancouver native doesn’t often tour, so those who missed him last year should head down to the Royal Canadian Legion No. 1 on Wednesday — and be sure to check out our interview at www.ffwdweekly.com.

Hard rock fans should also take notice of Thursday’s double-bill at The Back Alley. The Mango Kid himself, Danko Jones, will be sharing the stage with Montreal’s Hot Springs. Front woman Giselle Webber is a powerhouse vocalist, and Jones himself is known for his relentless energy.

Metal-heads and hipsters aren’t the only ones with reason to celebrate this week. Former Calgarian Kristian Alexandrov’s visit to Beat Niq this week will give jazz fans a rare treat. Alexandrov will be joined by Ben Harries on bass and Andy Ericson on drums when he releases his new CD, Akoustika, on Saturday, May 10. The disc draws from a variety of folk, jazz and classical traditions. You can even throw in a bit of headbanging, if you’re feeling left out by the metal.

Lastly, local stalwarts (and curators of the monthly RAMP showcases at Broken City) The Summerlad will be joining Vancouver’s experimental three-piece Shearing Pinx at The Republik on Thursday, May 8. Shearing Pinx’ abstract noise and jagged rock will be a perfect complement to The Summerlad, who are currently at work on the followup to their 2007 album-length epic, City of Noise.