Founded in 2006, Finnish melodic death metal overlords Brymir didn’t break ground until their debut five years later. Therefore, it’s easy for them to be overlooked within the bloated landscape from that half-decade. Consider the releases from around that time: Kalmah’s The Black Waltz (2006), Dark Tranquillity’s Fiction (’07), Amon Amarth’s Twilight Of The Thunder God (’08), and Be’lakor’s Stone’s Reach (’09), to name but a few.
Maybe it was smart for Brymir to wait and find their sound. Another five years elapsed before their sophomore effort, however, Voices In The Sky (Napalm Records) comes three years removed from Wings Of Fire, and with it, Brymir solidifies the synergy that exists within the group. Every hook is rudimentary yet still insultingly effective.
Brymir isn’t trying to be anything else other than Brymir. Vocals harmonizing with notes; luscious guitar soloing; mystical glistening intros; and effortless fluidity. The arrangements are glorious, heroic. Every ounce of the eleven tracks garner gravity, making for a sparkly, near-spotless affair.
A brief taste of the titular track reveals aggressive drums paired with bashful guitars which crescendos into a massive chorus.
While other bands may have been focused on one-upping its peers, Brymir took time to surgically produce high-quality music that’s polished and purposeful. It also doesn’t hurt that 80 percent of the band was there since day one. Viktor Gullichsen (vocals, choirs, orchestrations), Sean Haslam (guitars), Joona Björkroth (guitars, vocals, backing choirs) and Jarkko Niemi (bass, vocals, backing choirs) welcomed Patrik Fält (drums) back in 2013, and the introduction has been seamless.
Voices In The Sky represents the five-piece uniting as one, bouncing ideas off one another and operating like a well-oiled metal machine. Luckily for us, we didn’t have to wait a half decade for this. Granted I’d be willing to wait much longer than that because Brymir have repeatedly proven patience will be handsomely rewarded. This is no different.
Buy the album here: https://lnk.to/VoicesInTheSky
7 / 10
MATT COOK