When heavy bands explore their softer sides it can yield some intoxicating results and Germany’s Time, the Valuator serve up a perfect example with ‘When I Meet Death’. The calm, piano-led intro is a beautiful contrast to what succeeds it and the juxtaposition between atmospheric melody and the deep, rumbling, low notes of the band’s tech-metal tuned guitars plays with my emotions in all the right ways.

With high-register, infectiously melodic vocals over the top of stuttering, time-signature agnostic riffs, Time, the Valuator are a convergence of Hands Like Houses and modern Northlane; a cocktail that’s both potent and extremely addictive.

The band dedicate this song to “everyone struggling with the anxiety of death or those being affected by the death of a loved one. There’s always a dim light cutting through the darkness; never forget that the people you hold dearly are always by your side in one way or another.” Conveying such a positive message through a series uplifting melodies is hard to ignore and though the band are still in their embryonic stages (with only two singles available thus far), they’ve already given me ample reasons to keep a close eye on them in the future.