You may not usually think of nerds and headbangers as two types that go together, but hard rock bands Coheed and Cambria and Mastodon prove that geek culture and heavy metal are very much compatible. Both bands pair their intense, sometimes brutal music with lyrics that feature dense mythology and references to concepts from sci-fi and fantasy. So it makes sense that two bands are teaming up for what they dub The Unheavenly Skye Tour, in reference to Coheed’s new album Vaxis—Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures and Mastodon’s classic 2009 album Crack the Skye.

Unheavenly Creatures is a return to The Amory Wars, the overarching narrative that runs through almost all of Coheed’s music, telling the epic story of the characters that give the band its name. The album is accompanied by a novel co-written by frontman Claudio Sanchez and his wife Chondra Echert, and the world of The Amory Wars has also been explored in a series of comic books. Crack the Skye is also a concept album, albeit slightly less intricate and ambitious, exploring the world of souls and spirits. Together, these two bands demonstrate that big ideas and big riffs fit together perfectly.

Hard Rock Hotel, 7:30 p.m. June 28, starting at $49.50 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster