Tim Yatras is Australia’s answer to Dan Swanö. From Austere and Nazxul to Woods of Desolation and Ilium, the Wollongong-based multi-instrumentalist has had his hands full over the last decade. True, he may not have the visibility of Swanö, but his contributions to all types of metal is noticeable and commendable. In fact, he’s mostly a drummer, but the kit doesn’t seem have restrained Yatras too much.
His latest—well, from 2003—project is Germ, a one-man band project is not to be confused with punk legends Germs. The song presented, “Butterfly,” shows Yatras in inspired form and comes off Germ’s latest full-length, Grief. His uplifting guitar lines clash unexpectedly against desolate screams. It’s like black metal mixed with British new wave. And then there’s Audrey Sylvain (Amesoeurs, Peste Noire) contribution. She sounds like a ghost dispossessed. Creepy yet somehow basking in the glow of a fading sun.
Grab the soul of a long departed relative and stare together at the bronze autumnal sky. Feel the warmth of death approaching on the winds of seasons changing. Germ is your sonic vessel.
** Germ’s new album, Grief, is available for order by clicking HERE. We had to break out the frame to get the full URL from Eisenwald’s store, but the link gets you where you need to be. Hand-in-hand with Germ and leaves transforming from the green of summer to the color bursts of fall.
