Throughout their long tenure, few outfits have been as abrasive, heavy or loud as Swans. Led by the intense, fearless Michael Gira, the group debuted in the early '80s, making uncompromisingly ugly and confrontational noise rock. Slowly, the New Yorkers started to bring beauty and melody into the mix, with the influence of vocalist Jarboe and an ever-changing pool of collaborators. By the '90s, they were recording miniature symphonies that mixed ambient noise with stark folk. After an extended hiatus, Gira reconvened the band in '10 to explore a denser, more repetitive and hypnotizing sound.