There are some changes at Brymir!
Still signed to Napalm Records, the band has become a quartet, led by Joona Björkroth (guitar, Battle Beast), Jarkko Niemi (bass, IA, ex-Enragement), Viktor Gullichsen (vocals/orchestrations), and Patrik Fält (drums, Feastem), and will release their fifth album, What We Leave Behind, in 2026.
The lengthy instrumental intro Slaying Star brings a mysterious touch at first, which Sleipnir intensifies before suddenly bursting into life, delivering a frenzied pace reminiscent of the mythological beast; and although the Melodic/Symphonic Death Metal roots are present, you’d swear you could hear other influences as well. The vocals only serve to amplify the band’s rage, underscoring their raw power while relying on the arrangements, before Tempestbound takes over with a similar approach, even occasionally veering toward epic power metal with its soaring choruses. The lead parts reinforce this approach, while the choppy riffs offer Old School touches that lead us to title track What We Leave Behind, which features more modern elements – such as the keyboards in the intro and the distinctly Finnish Pagan Metal undertones that connoisseurs will associate with the band’s early days while the break returns to this more recent approach. As its name suggests, True Darkness reveals much bleak tones, but once again the musicians manage to energize them with a devastating blast beat and furious rhythm section that fuel the track’s theatrical and expressive nature, especially before Moment of Silence grants us a well-deserved respite with a fairly gentle instrumental. The tranquility, however, intensifies as we move into Buried Legion which opens with that monstrous vocal before unleashing its warlike tones where the band masterfully blends the rawest elements with orchestral arrangements to create a unifying mix that’s sure to take the audience by storm at their upcoming shows. Another pause comes with Thy Self the Highest Love (Prelude)” which adds an almost operatic yet expected touch before the intensity builds on The Roaring King, a track that starts off relatively calm and melancholic but on which the vocalist eventually lets loose, becoming even more intense at times. Back to the dreamy sounds of Broken Dawn, which showcases one of the band’s gentler sides; they take their time building the atmosphere throughout the track to better conclude their original compositions, because although this track seems to mark the album’s final, it’s with How Much Is the Fish?, a cover of the German band Scooter, that the album truly concludes though not without infusing its energetic roots with Eurodance, creating a result that is, to say the least… surprising.
Although they’ve been a bit out of the spotlight lately, Brymir has taken the time to polish their new album, and to say the least, they’ve worked hard on What We Leave Behind! All of their influences are represented on it, and it’s sure to be a hit.
85/100
