Talamyus

Having already honed their chops in their native Quebec, Talamyus and their self-appointed brand of Viking metal (maybe "Voyageur metal,” in Canada’s case) look to ascend to a higher level of recognition with their second release, In These Days of Violence. If all were right in the world of metal this band would certainly catch the ear of fans looking for something a little different. Talamyus’s sound is best described as akin to Three Inches of Blood, replacing the higher vocals with death metal growls. Fans of older Kreator will also find some good thrash-y moments as well. As for the claim of being "Viking metal,” there are spurts of berserker brutality on In These Days of Violence but the latter half of the record axes out some great slower, more melancholy moments reminiscent of recent mid-paced Amon Amarth songwriting. A couple flashes of grin-inducing twin harmonies added to the already solid battalion of riffs make for a very enjoyable listen. Quebec may be a long way from the Valhalla that is the Scandinavian Viking metal community but these guys still channel some damn fine Asgard-style ass kicking.