The solo project of the incredibly prolific Tim Yatras (Austere, Grey Waters, ex-Nazxul, ex-Woods of Desolation, etc), Germ is, in a lot of ways, a band in disguise – which is appropriate, considering it’s almost Halloween. Instead of being a sexy pirate or sexy pizza, though, this is a killer post-punk/new wave band dressed as atmospheric black metal. It’s a really weird clash, but also one that works. Yatras uses depression as the common factor, and from there combines the two sounds without hybridizing them or losing sight of the individual identities. Disembodied screams transform into sweet singing and vice versa, waves of feedback coalesce into triumphant guitar solos, minor key slashing gives way to epic hooks. Their second album, Grief, is one of the weirdest things you’ll hear this year, and one of the best. We’ve already premiered one song from the album, “Butterfly.” Here’s the rest.
***Grief is out now courtesy of Eisenwald. You can order it here.
