It's hard to tell what Candace Kucsulain, lead singer of metal band Walls of Jericho, is singing, saying or screaming. But apparently her lyrics are often politically charged and, despite the angry tone that permeates heavy metal music, many of the songs are positive.

That's according to drummer Dustin Schoenhofer, a native of Toledo, Ohio who has played with the Detroit-based Walls of Jericho for about four years. Walls is classified as "metalcore," which combines the punk and heavy metal genres (but who's labeling?). Their latest album, "The American Dream," was released on July 29.

At a recent show at the Annex on Regent Street, a few dozen patrons watched with interest in clusters near the stage, while two or three pierced, lanky young men threw their bodies around in a make-your-own mosh pit. The only words I could discern are unprintable. I quickly popped back to the merchandise table to pick up two squishy purple earplugs to make the sound levels bearable.

It may seem obvious, but as a fine arts reporter this is not the sort of band I'd normally seek out. I went to see Walls of Jericho because I've known Dustin Schoenhofer for five years. He's practically a member of my family: he's engaged to marry my cousin, Julie, also from Toledo.

"What makes a good metal band?" I asked one of the Annex bartenders, who was clearly enjoying the pounding tunes even late into his shift.

"Rhythm," he responded, bobbing his head.

"Is metal ALWAYS this angry?" I asked. He grinned, and nodded vigorously.

Walls of Jericho is unusual in having a female lead singer, not the norm for metal bands. I was interested to learn that the technique Kucsulain must use to sing/scream the lyrics each night for a months-long tour is essentially the same as that used by opera singers worldwide. Support from the diaphragm, use lots of air, keep your throat open and relaxed. It seems to be working -- Kucsulain has been successfully performing with the band since 1998.

Walls of Jericho recently toured with the band Slipknot as part of the Rockstar Mayhem Festival, which ended Aug. 19. In late September, they depart for the "Hell on Earth" tour, traveling to Germany, Denmark, France, and the UK, among other metal-loving cities.

After the show, Schoenhofer took me back to meet the band and see their traveling set-up: a large RV they take turns driving. After loading the equipment, band members relaxed and sipped beers and worked on their laptops. And this is when it dawned on me. For someone who's used to somewhat lighter musical fare, all the tattoos, expletives and demonic imagery can obscure the fact that these are laidback people, traveling together, playing music to crowds of all sizes, from a dozen to 5,000.

In that way, they're not so much different than any of the other groups I love, from Feufollet to Keller Williams. So safe travels, Walls of Jericho; rock on, rock hard.

(My attempts to shoot flash photos at the Annex failed miserably. Here's a shot of Dustin Schoenhofer at the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival 2008,
White River Amphitheater, taken by Cory Bayless, found on Flickr.)