Few metal bands take their theatrics as seriously as LA’s In This Moment, who have been known to wear costumes themed to the music, with masked guests onstage enacting bits of scene-setting that make performances as much dark carnival as concert. Founding duo Maria Brink and Chris Howorth at first seemed inspired by the worst excesses of Queensryche and Dream Theater when they formed their band around 2005, though they had clearly embraced their dark side by the time their fourth album, 2012’s Blood, carried them into the Billboard top 40 for the first time, debuting at number 15. A follow-up, Black Widow, reached number eight, but by that time the world was being overrun by goths-gone-Broadway like Muse, Motionless in White, Avatar, etc. Last summer’s Ritual album debuted at number 23 but never climbed any higher, perhaps due to the more stripped down sound and the less stripped down wardrobe of singer Maria Brink, who told interviewers that the band intentionally wanted to focus less on sexuality and more on strength.

They’ve definitely gone from Linda Carter Wonder Woman to Gal Gadot, as evidenced by a new action-packed live video featuring a log-splitting performance of “River of Fire,” and things are taken to an even more Wagnerian level of epic histrionics in the video for “Black Wedding,” which features a guest turn from Judas Priest singer (and occasional Hillcrest neighbor) Rob Halford. Arriving with them at Harrah’s on August 24, headliners Halestorm have also gone from blush to butch on recent efforts like their new single “Uncomfortable,” previewing a full-length called Viscious due later this month, and the bill includes fellow female-fronted rockers New Years Day.