What We Leave Behind
Brymir make heavy music that is difficult to keep still. What We Leave Behind moves quickly, filling its songs with bright guitar leads, choirs and broad electronic textures. The Finnish band's fifth album has a darker outlook than those ingredients might suggest, but the melodies still aim high. It is often forceful and uplifting at the same time.
The opening pair of Slaying Star and Sleipnir establishes the scale before Tempestbound gives the album one of its clearest hooks. The playing is sharp, and the arrangements keep adding detail without letting the songs become long technical exercises. The title track also makes good use of the meeting point between modern production and the band's more traditional melodic roots.
True Darkness and Buried Legion bring a rougher death metal side into view. Those tracks matter because the brighter material can otherwise make the album feel too polished. The short instrumental pauses help separate the larger songs, giving the record a little room to breathe before the next rush of activity.
Not every melody has the same staying power. Some passages make a strong first impression but become less distinctive as the album continues. The Roaring King is one point where the balance between scale and songwriting feels less secure. Brymir's ability is never the problem; the question is whether every layer strengthens the song underneath.
Broken Dawn offers a gentler way out of the original material. The closing Scooter cover, How Much Is The Fish, then changes the mood so abruptly that it feels like a separate attraction. It may work as a bit of fun, but it weakens the ending as an album.
That leaves What We Leave Behind a little uneven, though still easy to recommend to melodic death metal fans who enjoy a large arrangement. Brymir keep the songs compact and the musicianship lively, with enough darker weight to balance the shine.
