Math rock is post rock's hyperactive and brattier little sister. Where post rock is cool and cerebral, math rock is often dense and impetuous. Characteristically, math rock is filled with difficult time signatures, atypical rhythm structures, phrases intricately put together, and angular, dissonant riffs. If an assemblage of angry mathematicians covered precision metal songs while a team of musically proficient scientists turned that metal into rock, you would be looking at the formula for math rock. Noise bands such as Big Black and the Jesus Lizard were key influences to the genre, but it wasn't until Slint released its legendary Spiderland album that math rock gained momentum and won the hearts of the indie elite.

Notable Artists: Polvo, Slint, A Minor Forest, Chavez