With the world becoming a darker place by the day, there's a need for more metal bands that deal in realistic escapism; that is escapism that draws from events in the real world (see Joseph Campbell’s seminal Hero With A Thousand Faces for more) and helps the listeners cope heroically with their own daily battles. The aural equivalent of the work of George R.R. Martin.

Indeed, Alberta power-influenced progressive death metal band Valyria take their name from the works of the aforementioned Martin.

As the band explains. “Valyria is a ruined city in the world of Essos, the world in which George R.R. Martin’s A Song Of Fire And Ice takes place. Valyria is a city of wonderment, magic and untold power. The aesthetic Martin creates within his novels is a similar atmosphere to that we as a band try to conjure with our music.”

Influenced by Wintersun, The Faceless, Dragonforce, Blind Guardian and Omnium Gatherum, Valyria describes their sound as “dramatic, complex, uplifting, emotional, technical” something their fans will be able to hear on their new EP Into The Dying Of Time, which features "Steel Inquisition", "Tome Of The Shattered Vessels", "Of Sky And Sea", "The Crossing" and "Floating World".

New track "The Crossing" is streaming below.

The band comments:

"'The Crossing' is the most succinct example of our sound – equal parts djent, death and power metal, with even a tiny hint of skate punk. This song is filled with glittering keyboard and guitar melodies, brutal chugging, and soaring vocal harmonies, surrounding a lush clean section that builds up into trade-off solos book ending the album’s heaviest breakdown. 'The Crossing' is based on Haruki Murakami’s novel ‘Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World’, an existential cyberpunk odyssey that sees our protagonist confront and cross through his own demise and live on in the world of dreams.

Tracklisting:

“The Final Empire (Intro)”
“Steel Inquisition”
“Tome Of Shattered Vessels”
“Of Sky And Sea”
“The Crossing”
“Floating World”
“Into The Dying Of Time (Outro)”

“The Crossing”:

“Steel Inquisition”:

Valyria’s forthcoming EP Into The Dying Of Time will be released on May 18th, and is available for pre-order on Bandcamp.

(Band photo by Graham Gnarles)