Ryan Adams has gone wherever his muse has led him in the past, turning out albums of faux-Britpop, '70s-style country-rock, Dylanesque balladeering, and gritty garage rock. So why the hell shouldn't he make a metal album? Even if you've got an answer to that question, don't bother, because he's already gone and done it. Granted, Orion is metal from a skewed, distinctly Adams-centric perspective, but he's damn proud of it, ironically apologizing on his website for "the sheer metalness" of his new outing. Tune in next time, when Ryan goes dubstep.