October’s featured band is the very potent & young talented prog death metal monsters VIRVUM! These guys grabbed my attention and kicked me in the balls when I heard “Tentacles Of The Sun”. What makes this newer band so damn great? Well, their guitarists are pretty damn good to start. They are the type of progressive death metal band that thinks outside the box, and really sticks to melodies and a song rather than showing off with receptive sweep picking patterns on guitar and tapping bass strings constantly. They focus on creating a soundscape and cinematic experience, rather than just putting together songs. The songs transition well on their debut “Illuminance” and really set the mood. Their bassist Arran really, really kicks ass. He adds many great tasty bass leads throughout their only album to date “Illuminance” which is most likely the best release from 2016. Fear no more techers: they ARE working on a follow up album while monstrously promoting their album and band.
Virvum is from Switzerland. Europe just has such a great knack for all sorts of metal bands, as evident by many. I think these guys will only keep getting better, creating great music that will fill the void of some of the genre’s greats who are done (Necrophagist and Spawn of Possession, unfortunately). They are very underrated and very talented, and my logical choice for October’s follow up in comparison to a totally different prog death band last month in Burial In The Sky.
Enjoy the music from these masterful musicians all month long of October! Buy their shit! Play their album loud! Hear them roar motherfuckers! And let’s hope we get a new single soon from that aforementioned second album.
Virvum:
Bryan Berger – Vocals
Nic Gruhn – Guitars
Arran McSporran – Bass
Diego Morenzoni – Drums
Toby Koelman – Guitars
https://www.facebook.com/virvum/
Oh, and enjoy the wild bass work on that track that drew me to Virvum…..That freaking chorus, man.