Let it be known that I don’t spend my days listening to the latest in heavy metal, nor do I pretend to know everything about the genre. You definitely won’t find me headbanging, but that’s beside the point. For that reason, I can’t precisely label where Lethal Chaos ranks among other Middle Tennessee heavy metal groups. I can say that the four musicians who make up Lethal Chaos know the genre well, and that becomes obvious on their sophomore release, SideWinder.

From the town of Manchester, Tenn., Lethal Chaos joined forces in 2006, hitting the scene a year later with their self-promoted debut album, Serpentine. Since then, the band’s basic musical template has been a blend of hard rock and heavy metal, bordering more on the new side of metal than classic, especially on the latest album.

Upon first listen, SideWinder is difficult to wrap your brain around. The album opener, “Snake Bite,” is a galloping power-metal anthem with a growling chorus that would have done well to fade out after the guitar solo. Similar to the opening track, “Perfect Enemy” and “Caged” last a minute or two longer than they can sustain interest, clocking in at almost six minutes each.

Justin Morrison provides skillful guitar work on SideWinder, while the rest of the album is credited to Chris Millraney (bass), Criss Alford (drums) and Rob Elliot, whose vocals help give Lethal Chaos their earthy, gritty, sound.

The album’s antepenultimate track, “SideWinder,” serves as the album’s pinnacle, with thrashing vocals laying a thick coat over unrelenting guitar riffs. It’s pretty heavy, which is probably why it serves as the album’s title track.

Lethal Chaos owes a lot of its sound to classic metal bands such as Pantera, Metallica, Killswitch Engage and Disturbed, just to name a few. The band’s Tennessee roots certainly contribute a twanginess to their core sound, which can be jarring at times.

To listen to Lethal Chaos, visit reverbnation.com/lethalchaos.