With his man-in-black schtick down pat, T.J. Cowgill’s dark muses surface in King Dude as echoey outlaw country lamentations penned to remind us to take it down a notch—because we’re all going to die anyway. It’s no surprise that Cowgill’s got a healthy death metal background though his band Book of Black Earth may use a completely different set of weapons (distortion, double kicks, throat scraping screams), both projects play out a similarly bleak world view to surprisingly good results. There is also a dry humor to Dude’s music, as he groans and wobbles his words for effect, playing the part he’s written for himself so well that we’re happy to play along. With Cinnamon Girl, Partman Parthorse, DAN’Z ID. TODD HAMM

Fri., Nov. 30, 9 p.m., 2012