Join the cult of Pyra.
Formed in Italy in 2020, the band made up of L. (vocals/guitar/bass, Dead Chasm, Psychotomy, Stench of Profit) and I. (guitar, An Ocean Between Us, Psychotomy) released a debut EP, then integrated drummer E. (Dawn of a Dark Age, Ossario, Simulacro, ex-Anamnesi…) to create Those Who Dwell in the Fire, their debut album, released by Immortal Frost Productions.
The band begins by mesmerizing us with the dark introduction to opening track Cacus, then reveals its raw power with aggressive riffs before the impressive rhythm takes over. The thick hazy sound creates a suffocating atmosphere in which screams are perfectly integrated, strengthening the oppression between two dissonant parts before calming down to lead us to Summit of Existence and its majestic approach, which at times turns into a veritable hurricane, marvelously combining a crushing frantic basis with cold harmonics. The sound slows down once more to allow Palingenesis to take its place with a mysterious murky veil, followed by the usual asphyxiating surge where overexcited drums guide throbbing leads and mournful screams through the web of darkness woven by the guitars. Silence brings the picture to a close before Becoming returns with a more abrasive and pessimistic approach, letting the rhythmic languish and then flare up, while keeping airy harmonics in the background that eventually plunge the mixing into melancholy before mystical keyboards lead the way to Purified in Infinity, which begins with some troubled quietness. The sound slowly progresses to accommodate a few vocal parts, but the calm returns for a long moment before the musicians let loose for a while, before returning to this heady and almost soothing compromise, which ends to let Funeral Pyre instantly ignite thanks to a solid blast. There’s a real contrast on this last composition, letting the sustained rhythmic beat strike between two moments of release, before the album’s ashes finally fade away.
Pyra‘s work gives Those Who Dwell in the Fire a very hazy identity, sometimes violent, sometimes much more majestic. Death and Black Metal’s best elements merge to create a thick cloud of darkness that hypnotizes us from start to finish, allowing for a few moments of respite.
85/100