Four years after Brymir dropped fourth LP Voices in the Sky, the Finnish quartet reemerges with fifth opus, What We Leave Behind. Despite parting ways with longtime guitarist Sean Haslam last year, fans of the band will be happy to hear Brymir’s core sound remains intact. Sleek melodic leads coat What We Leave Behind’s three-quarters of an hour, and they go down smoother than an ice-cold lonkero after an honest day’s work. Brymir’s third album Wings of Fire introduced me to the ensemble, and as Dr. Wvrm alluded to in his Voices in the Sky write-up, I was one of those won over by Wings’ spectacular apotheosis of symphonic melodeath. Voices in the Sky cleared the goalpost as well, and so I come to What We Leave Behind with great expectations—does it complete the Bryfecta? A natural continuation of Voices in the Sky, the front half of What We Leave Behind brings sweet, candy-coated confections dusted with spirited orchestrations and earworms galore. This sort of songcraft can inundate systems with a sucrose-fueled sugar rush, but fortunately Brymir adds enough substance to their numbers that they don’t rely on sweetmeats alone. The opening batch of songs kicks off What We Leave Behind with exactly the kind of pop-forward stickiness that Brymir thrives on. “Tempestbound” supplies a scorching cut of soaring melodeath, “What We Leave Behind” beckons with wistful melodies and synth accents that remind me of Insomnium, and “Sleipnir” kicks with the strength of eight legs, buoying Joona Björkroth’s (Battle Beast) incendiary guitar work and drummer Patrik Fält’s blistering performance with infectious verve. “True Darkness” rounds out the front of the album, and it swaps the high ‘n’ mighty splendor of the preceding tracks with an iciness recalling Wintersun’s symphodeath and engendering a balanced attack through What We Leave Behind’s side A. What We Leave Behind by Brymir The back half of What We Leave Behind retains the same sweeping grandeur as the fore, although a few small hiccups inform a hint of choppiness that leaves the album a tad front-loaded. “Buried Legion” rips listeners asunder with an atmospheric malevolence heretofore unexplored by Brymir, but it’s bookended by instrumentals that dull its impact. In the promo materials, Brymir mentions that What We Leave Behind is the band’s most ‘sinister album yet.’ While this assertion misses me through “What We Leave Behind,” “True Darkness” and “Buried Legion” indeed embody some of Brymir’s most ominous textures to date. “The Roaring King” and “Broken Dawn” likewise elicit undercurrents of foreboding and lament, although Brymir never loses the threads of invigorating power that keep What We Leave Behind from ever sounding downright malignant. Album closer “How Much Is the Fish”1 ends matters on a fun note, leaving behind an uplifting aftertaste. What We Leave Behind glimmers with a glossy production while the music brims with big riffs and choruses, but Brymir’s impact can be better qualified by how it makes me feel. Those allergic to major chords and triumphant choral swells might not be convinced, but power and energy electrify Brymir’s music with galvanizing gusto. Thrilling surges of technicality collide with rousing vocals and stirring choirs, investing tracks like “Tempestbound” and “What We Leave Behind” with an unbridled opulence that makes me want to take up a cause. Overall, What We Leave Behind radiates a majestic earnestness I find utterly charming, and even with a few minor structural qualms, I can’t resist Brymir’s draw. Unfortunately, issues with the stream interrupted the transition between songs with buffering every time, constantly taking me out of the experience and making it difficult to appreciate the album’s flow and cohesion. Ultimately, What We Leave Behind dazzles with highly polished melodeath that lends itself to repeated spins. Despite a tonal shift a third of the way through the album, Brymir never sounds less than slick and stunning. Each song bears its own identity, yet they all weave together with masterful performances, concise songwriting, and massive guitar and synth hooks. Though I don’t think What We Leave Behind completely measures up to Wings of Fire or Voices in the Sky, I’m open to being wrong once I can experience the album as intended rather than being at the mercy of a glitchy stream. Either way, Brymir beams with bouncy ebullience even at their darkest, and this undeniable jubilance is exactly the sort of melodeath ingredient I find utterly irresistible.2 Of all the records you could Leave Behind as the year starts winding down, don’t let Brymir be one of them. --- Rating: Very Good DR: NA | Format Reviewed: Bry Me a River (Stream) Label: Napalm Records Websites: Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram Releases Worldwide: October 2nd, 2026 The post Brymir – What We Leave Behind Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

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