The atmospheric instrumental intro,
“Slaying Star”, moves right into its faster counterpart,
“Sleipnir”, opening up the album with the speed and fury of the eight-hooved horse companion to Allfather Odin it is named after. Keyboards and choirs carry
BRYMIR’s epic death metal to new heights. Following
“Tempestbound” shifts the focus to speedy guitar work while unveiling the overarching theme of
What We Leave Behind. Wrapped in the cloak of mythology,
BRYMIR deliver a message clearly translatable into our society: No matter the belief system, the Gods are all the same—and none of them is worth dying for at the hands of moribund mankind. The keys-driven title track,
“What We Leave Behind”, hammers in the pacifist message: “Midgard lies in flames”, the four-piece exclaims regretfully about the realm of people, the reason following right behind in the ever-so-catchy chorus, whose calmness serves as a stark contrast to the high-speed verses: “Vanity paves the road to Hel”, the meaning of which is clear even without knowledge of the Edda.
“True Darkness” moves down a gloomier path, taking a particularly creative approach to
BRYMIR’s signature orchestral sound: following the stages of grief, it offers its chorus only in melody to keep up with the progression of the lyrics. After dismal passages, it closes with hopeful clean vocals and a bittersweet spoken word outro—truly cinematic. Aptly named instrumental breather
“Moment Of Silence” beautifully prepares for
“Buried Legion”, a contrastingly sweeping song powered by choirs that paint a martial image. Inspired by German composer Johann Sebastian Bach,
“Thy Self The Highest Love” serves as a liturgical prelude to
“The Roaring King”, in which
BRYMIR turn down the speed while losing none of their vigor. The lengthy epic
“Broken Dawn” picks up right where the preceding track left off: a waltz, this track closes the album majestically, showcasing the band’s knack for film-like build-ups. For everyone wanting to end on a lighter note, the band adds an out-of-the-box bonus cover to
What We Leave Behind. Scooter’s eurodance classic
“How Much Is The Fish” is reworked into a rousing melodeath track—an additional nod to
BRYMIR’s stance against ocean pollution,
“Herald of Aegir”, from the previous album,
Voices In The Sky (2022), live performances of which regularly see salmon plushies in the audience.
What We Leave Behind tracklisting:
- Slaying Star
- Sleipnir
- Tempestbound
- What We Leave Behind
- True Darkness
- Moment Of Silence
- Buried Legion
- Thy Self The Highest Love
- The Roaring King
- Broken Dawn
- How Much Is The Fish
What We Leave Behind will be available in the following formats:
1LP Gatefold Splatter Grey Black Red, incl. Booklet – strictly limited to 200 copies (Napalm Shop exclusive)
1LP Gatefold Clear – strictly limited to 200 copies (Napalm Shop and Finland exclusive)
1LP Gatefold Trans Red, incl. Lyric Sheet
1CD Digipack, 6p Digipack
Digital Album
