My, what a strange duck Czar is. Combining elements of black metal and jazz fusion in what amounts to a head-on collision of tonal opposites, the ultimate result is the realization that - despite the obvious disparities in sound and effect - these two genres are actually quite similar in structure. Weird. When Czar bounces your ears back and forth from plodding, aggressive guitars and shrieking vocals to what could pass for a Gentle Giant journey of the mind, your brain just might suffer from a kind of whiplash. If any band could easily be saddled with the moniker "progressive," Czar might be it. Bonus: this show is a free Hell's Kitchen New Year's Eve extravaganza packed with bands, in addition to Czar, that'll make sure your ears ring well into 2012.

[Hell's Kitchen, with Absence of Grace, Deathbed Confessions, American Wrecking Company, Psycho Rehab, Beyond Theory, Doors at 6 p.m., No Cover, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

LINK: More live music New Year's Eve in the South Sound