As the skies darken here at Grumpy Labs and winter draws closer, the choice of music being played tends to the darker side… or does it?

Devin Townsend - Lightwork⌗

You most certainly can’t call Devin’s latest work dark. It’s very much the opposite of that. The opening track Moonpeople is a whimsical track that sets the scene for much of what follows. Although the end of the album becomes a little darker in places, this is an uplifting album that strips back the layers from previous releases. While some reviewers have found it a little boring, I found myself enjoying letting it wash over me. Definitely an anti-grumpy listen.

Disillusion - Ayam⌗

On the other hand, Disillusion’s newest album Ayam is definitely closer to my regular taste in music. Angry and reminiscent of early Secrets of the Moon, they at times sound like a black metal version of Katatonia, particularly in the layered clean vocal melodies. Opener Am Abgrund (On The Edge of the Abyss) mixes both approaches within the same track, with the opening blast-beat driven riffage leading into a gentle mid-section that wouldn’t be out of place on Dead End Kings. A magical blend of aggression and melancholy for the dark winter days.

Syn Ze Șase Tri - Ultimu' lup⌗

I stumbled across Syn Ze Șase Tri in a random AMG review discussion, and bookmarked them for a later listen. After several months of procrastination, I finally got around to giving them a listen. I’m very glad that I did. While the opening track sounds like something from the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack or Negura Bungets Om, Hâtri comes blasting out of the gates like something from Dimmu’s Spiritual Black Dimensions. The production is a little thin on this track though, and feels like it could use a bit more bass, although this gets better as the album progresses. There are also strong hints of latter-era Cradle of Filth amongst the riffage. Overall, a really catchy album with some great melodies, and some fantastic vocal harmonising, especially on Din Om Neom.

Second to Sun - Nocturnal Philosophy⌗

This 5 track EP is full of all the things that make black metal good - ghastly screaming, an icy cold atmosphere, and explosive bursts of blast-beat driven fury. The melodic moments in the different tracks can lull you into a false sense of security before they burst back into life (death?) with some particularly tasty aggression. Reminds me at times of Mgła, which is no bad thing!

Daylight Dies - Lost To The Living⌗

To this day, I still don’t understand why Daylight Dies aren’t as popular as they should be (or should have been - although I can’t find any record of it, it looks like they’ve fallen into inactivity). Since seeing them support Katatonia in 2003, I’ve loved the sense of aching melancholy they bring to their music, mixing crunchier riffs with gentle acoustic songs. While some have called them “an American Katatonia with harsher vocals”, I don’t think that gives them enough credit. Lost To The Living is my favourite DD recording, showing them at their depressive best.