VALYRIA – INTO THE DYING OF TIME – INDEPENDENT
Here we have a band describing this as an EP, but at 32 minutes long I do often get sent albums that are shorter than this. Influenced by Wintersun, The Faceless, Dragonforce, Blind Guardian and Omnium Gatherum among others, here we have a death metal band that is also taking in influences from power metal and even some symphonic acts, and I could easily see them sharing a stage with the likes of Betraying The Martyrs. They get everything right this with this release, it is hard and heavy, complex and intricate, with great musicianship and production that is able to handle it. I am more than a little surprised to see that this is a self-release as I would have thought that a band producing music as powerful as this would have been grabbed by a label.
They now have two EP’s and a single behind them, but they need to be grabbed by someone who can give the band the promotion they deserve and get them back into the studio for an album. Or repackage this with the older releases if they are strong enough, and put that out as a stop gap. If you enjoy melodic, heavy, structured and complex music that takes elements from different areas and creating something powerful, then this is for you.
7/10
Kev Rowland
