Biblical themes of light and dark pervade Palodine’s sophomore release, Garden of Deceit. The pitfalls of employing such ancient, enduring subject matter, however, include the ample opportunity for cliché—too many bands explore these themes at some point in their development without success—but if done well, the eternal struggle between light and dark can inspire some of the most profound and poignant music ever made. And Palodine is an example of the latter, because Garden of Deceit doesn’t just discuss these archaic themes. It evokes the ominous tension of heaven’s armies preparing for battle, of Jesus sagging under the weight of the cross he’d die upon, without annoyingly obvious lyrics. Rather, there’s a surreal element to Palodine’s evocation of Christianity’s origins (and pre-history), and even for a secular Jew like myself, the result is both hopeful and poignantly haunting. Go see them, all ye of little faith, and bear witness!

Sat., Sept. 6, 5 p.m., 2008