The Nile Theater in Mesa is one of the Valley's most versatile venues, easily hosting great concerts by bands in a variety of genres, from pop and punk to electronic dance music. Where the place really shines, though, is as a metal venue. And since the pandemic, it's become the biggest hot spot for heshers and headbangers in town, as its calendar has been largely occupied by such genre heavyweights as Deicide, Allegaeon, Symphony X, Decrepit Birth, and fittingly enough, Nile. The venue's 850-person main room is conducive to metal shows, as its long, rectangular shape causes the sound of rip-roaring riffs and relentless percussion to deluge the audience like a tsunami. Plus, it's also the preferred venue for prominent local promoter 13th Floor Entertainment. Downstairs, the basement-level space The Underground offers a different, but equally suitable, vibe for gigs. The exposed pipes, concrete floors, and sticker-laden walls make it feel like some East Coast metal bar, while the smaller floor space allows you to get close enough to bands you can see their neck veins pop as they unleash some hellacious vocals. And that's totally metal.