Founded in 2006, Finnish epic metal band BRYMIR is finally releasing the highly anticipated third studio effort “Wings of Fire” on March 8th, 2019, through Ranka Kustannus. I got to know the band, when I reviewed Heavy Metal Heart festival 2017, I was so impressed by their immense sound, that I have been following them ever since, that got supported by the fact of releasing some very epic singles such as “Chasing The Skyline,” “Ride On, Spirit!,” and the recent “Wings Of Fire.”
BRYMIR is perhaps best known for their beautiful and epic orchestrations, adding an extra dimension and a huge sound to the band. Previously, this has been kind of a challenge, as the guys have also taken care of the production side of the albums themselves. Years later, vocalist Viktor Gullichsen, now has the experience he was lacking back then and as a result, the sound of this album is huge, very cinematic, while on the other hand, the album kept in touch with its genre and also has this raw edge to it. Impressive.
But what would a fantastically produced album be without epic songs? In that aspect BRYMIR certainly delivers. The album has a magnificent start with opening song “Gloria In Regum.” That atmospheric buildup felt like a slap in the face, grabbing my attention immediately, my excitement exponentially growing because of its epic choirs, guitar solos, and the smart song structure. This feeling sticks throughout the whole album, as it continues with “Wings Of Fire,” and the exceptional “Ride On, Spirit.” The three first songs by themselves are so outstanding, that I initially kept on replaying the album from the start, to hear their sequence again, after which I realized an entire album was left undiscovered.
The buildup to “Sphere Of Halcyon” offers a little break after those three explosive bursts of energy, and that is certainly welcome. The song then continues in blast beat mode. Fast, aggressive, and also including some epic shredding. As the song progresses I feel my heartbeat accelerating, and wonder if somehow this music can make me explode into little pieces of reviewer because of its ardor. Luckily, “And So We Age” tunes down the tempo and provides a little room for breathing. Perhaps a bit slower, but not less epic. It continues in “Hails From The Edge,” which interestingly has some poppy, electronic sounds to it as well, mixed in beautifully with that distinguished BRYMIR sound. “Starportal,” again, feels like it can’t be healthy to listen to, the orchestrations take you to whole new levels of existence. This song will be a success live, I can already imagine myself struggling to try and stay out of the circle pits, and getting annoyed as I carry a continuous stream of crowdsurfers during a bright festival summer.
“Vanquish The Night” again keeps the same pace of insanity, and after eight of these tracks, I’m starting to wonder if there should be a health risk warning on the album. Maybe the band realized the same thing because after that the album kind of takes a turn. Not in a bad way, no, it just offers a lot more breathing space in the form of three emotional songs: “Lament Of The Ravenous,” “Chasing The Skyline,” and the introspective ballad featuring Noora Louhimo of BATTLE BEAST, “Anew.” The latter one was a total surprise and absolute stellar ending to the album. Without any growls, the song creates an immersive atmosphere, with a great guest performance.
“Wings Of Fire” is like a rollercoaster ride, where you hit the peak of the rollercoaster and start dropping so quickly, things inside you start to shift around and it leaves you with a rush of adrenaline. With most of the songs being extremely high on energy, BRYMIR doesn’t shy away from once in a while a subtle clean guitar, folk, and even at times symphonic influences. The atmosphere created often feels like it could be part of a movie. Groovy, fast-paced riffs, spiraling guitar melodies, shredding solos, insane rhythm sections (varying from heavy metal rhythms to extreme blast beats), incredible hooks, you name it. By combining all of these elements with the outstanding orchestrations and epic choirs, BRYMIR have definitely managed to create an album lacking any lows.
Tracklist
- Gloria in Regum
- Wings of Fire
- Ride On, Spirit
- Sphere of Halcyon
- And So We Age
- Hails from the Edge
- Starportal
- Vanquish the Night
- Lament of the Ravenous
- Chasing the Skyline
- Anew
Lineup
Viktor Gullichsen – lead vocals
Joona Björkroth – guitar & vocals
Sean Haslam – guitar
Jarkko Niemi – bass & vocals
Patrik Fält – drums
Label
Ranka Kustannus/Out Of Line Music
Links
www.facebook.com/brymir
www.brymir.com
www.instagram.com/brymirband
