Band:	Brymir
Album:	Voices In The Sky
Style:	Extreme folk metal
Release date:	August 2022

01. Voices In The Sky
02. Forged In War
03. Fly With Me
04. Herald Of Aegir
05. Rift Between Us
06. Landfall
07. Borderland
08. Far From Home
09. Seeds Of Downfall
10. All As One
11. Diabolis Interium [Dark Funeral cover] [bonus]

Brymir continue to sound like four different bands at once. All superb.

Sure, at least two or three of those bands are Ensiferum, but that's to be expected when the band started out with an initial name taken from one of their songs. But Brymir's large range of sound and appeal is something that they're constantly working towards making their own. Though we have them here as "extreme folk metal", that's not selling the entire sound that Brymir take on. Even the bands whose influence they wear most clearly on their sleeves, like the aforementioned Ensiferum and Wintersun, as well as Kalmah and Children Of Bodom, weren't completely steam-lined into one genre, so it's only natural that Brymir would follow suit. Then you have guitarist Joona Björkroth joining Battle Beast, which enhanced the power metal side of the band, especially here.

You can already tell by the namedropped bands that Brymir merge the extreme with the melodious. Extreme folk metal existing alongside extreme power existing alongside melodic death metal, all having their epic and symphonic aspect enhanced. But sometimes the folk metal feels more like pagan folk metal. And sometimes the power metal feels not as extreme, and sometimes the symphonic aspect borders on some Dimmu Borgir sympho black and even some Summoning-core atmospheric black. And then you have a Dark Funeral cover to end things off and announce that black metal will have a slightly bigger share of Brymir's sound, which I hope will be the case rather than a one-off thing. I mean, Dark Funeral is neither the worst not the best black metal band to cover, but Brymir also do include some pretty neat blackened sections throughout Voices In The Sky.

The enhanced blackened element is not really the only thing to set Voices In The Sky. Being simultaneously epic and pummeling is naught new, but the lofty atmosphere created by some of the sections, especially in some interlude-like moments that make the entire thing feel almost cinematic, or rather more RPG-soundtrack-core. You could break the album down in the synth/choir led side and the guitars/drums/harsh vocals led side, all intertwined pretty eloquently, but all showing such care and variety that it justifies the "multiple bands at once" teaser. From the larger than life choirs in "Fly With Me" to the Russian invasion of Ukraine inspired "Borderlands", Voices In The Sky is the kind of album whose excesses ensure both its impact and its large appeal net. Power metal fans could love it. Melodeath fans could love it. Folk metal fans could love it. Symphonic black metal fans could love it. RPG soundtrack fans could love it.

Thus, chances are you probably like at least one of those four bands that are all Brymir.