Originally the brainchild of
Pale Divine bassist John Gaffney, Allentown, PA's
Sinister Realm began taking shape in 2008 with the recruitment of vocalist Alex Kristof, guitarists John Kantner and Keith Patrick, and
Pale Divine drummer Darin McCloskey, but the latter pair would be replaced by John Risko and Chris Metzger following the recording of the band's eponymous debut album. This album unveiled a modern update on the classic heavy metal aesthetic, with occasional detours into doom (think
Manowar,
Dio,
Candlemass, etc.), and was released by Shadow Kingdom Records in October 2009. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia