Mad About Rock

With the world becoming a darker place by the day, we need 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, tech...