Rock/pop

"Battlestar Anorexia" says it all: Seattle's Schoolyard Heroes are a bunch of genre-film geeks with a genuine appreciation for human flesh. Ryann Donnelly's voice evokes comparisons to Karen O and Corin Tucker, but her operatic training means she's always in control. (If you want the thrill of hearing a woman unhinged, you won't find it here.) And unlike the Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Sleater-Kinney, Schoolyard Heroes has no truck with punk — they sacrifice at the altar of AC/DC and Iron Maiden. On their second album, Fantastic Wounds (The Control Group), guitarist Steve Bonnell propels "Serial Killers Know How to Party" and "Funeral Parlour Tricks" with monster riffage. The song titles hint at a sense of humor, but there's nothing lighthearted about their horror-filled lyrics, and the music is heavy as hell. As in the best splatterfests, all the fake blood in the world can't mask a more mundane morality. Zombies grab your attention, but Schoolyard Heroes want your soul.

Sun., Aug. 21, 7 p.m., $10, all ages, with Vendetta Red, Bayside and Nightmare of You, The North Star, 27th and Poplar sts., 215-684-0808, www.northstarbar.com.