From shrieks to growls, vocals are part of what makes metal music great. But are they mandatory? Hell no!

Brian and Matt argue that metal can be just as powerful without words and offer Pelican's City of Echoes as Exhibit A. They discuss metal's classical roots, instrumental music's timelessness, and other bands for fans of Pelican.

This episode's featured track is "Bouquet" by WTLNDS, one of several projects by The Bunn.

Watch Noise Report clips on YouTube.

Check out Matt's other podcast Loud Lit, including a recent episode on Ozzy Osbourne's book Last Rites.