Released By: AFM Records
Release Date: November 1st, 2024
Genre: Power Metal
Links: https://www.facebook.com/brothersofmetalofficial/
Line Up:
Ylva Eriksson – Vocals
Joakim Lindbäck Eriksson – Vocals
Mats Nilsson – Vocals
Dawid Grahn – Guitars
Pähr Nilsson – Guitars
Emil Wärmedal – Bass
Johan Johansson – Drums
Tracklist:
1. Sowilo
2. Flight of the Ravens
3. Giantslayer
4. Heart of Stone
5. Rivers of Gold
6. Blood Red Sky
7. Ratatos
8. Chasing Lights
9. Heavy Metal Viking
10. The Other Son of Odin
11. Berserkir
12. Nanna’s Fate
13. Fimbulvinter
I’ve mentioned this many times before, but sometimes pre-release singles can cause my expectations for an album to either be much higher or lower than what my previous experiences with the band in question would suggest, only for the full album to come along and be more in line with my initial expectations. The latest example of this is Swedish viking themed power metal band Brothers of Metal.To say I was fully impressed by the band’s first two albums would be a massive understatement, with everything from the varied, yet consistently engaging songwriting, to the fantastic dual lead vocals and epic viking themed lyrics all leaving a strong impression. Needless to say, I was always going to be excited for new music from the band, and when they quietly released two singles in 2022, I loved both of them every bit as much as expected. However, the band went quiet for over a year, before releasing a more experimental single “Heavy Metal Viking”, along with a new album announcement, and as much as I tried, that track simply was not working for me. Knowing it and the previous two singles would all be in the mix, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from their upcoming third full length release Fimbulvinter, but as usual, I shouldn’t have been worried, because despite that one weaker track, the album as a whole is fantastic, and very much builds on the band’s previous two releases, while also having a slightly different feel on some tracks.
Fans of the band’s first two albums should have a good idea of what to expect, as this is still very much an epic, viking themed power metal album, full of fantastic vocal melodies and extremely varied songwriting. However, I’d say it’s perhaps a bit less fun and catchy, and instead more epic, as well as a bit heavier and more intense on some tracks, though as usual, there’s a few softer tracks mixed in, and there’s a wide variety of moods and styles throughout the album. As usual, the main style is power metal, and there are still some choruses and melodies which may reminds folks of the likes of Sabaton and Powerwolf, though there’s also more of a cinematic feel to many of the tracks, picking up from where Emblas Saga left off, and I’d say symphonic elements feel even more prominent than on that album. Folk elements are also used from time to time, especially during a duo of softer tracks early on, and those are two of my favorites on the album. There’s also a bit of heavy metal and melodic metal, as well as some tracks which blend various different elements together, such as the title track. There’s a lot going on, and aside from that one particular track, everything works perfectly, as expected from Brothers of Metal. Songwriting is a bit all over the place in terms of tone, mood and style, with some of the band’s darkest and heaviest material to date, mixed with some very light material and happier, more heroic lyrics, as expected from the band. The title track is based on an apocalyptic winter themed event from Norse mythology, so it does make sense the album would feature some of the band’s darkest and most epic material to date, and be a bit less fun and upbeat than previous albums.
Performances are excellent across the board, and while symphonic elements and keys often dominate and are used very effectively, metal instrumentation is also very well done, as always. Dual guitarists Dawid Grahn and Pähr Nilsson are given a ton of room to work with, as there’s a ton of nice, melodic lead guitar work, sometimes with a bit of a classic heavy metal feel, while other times it sounds more folk infused. There’s also a ton of heavier guitar work, sometimes a bit crunchy, sometimes slightly thrashy, and sometimes it goes closer into MDM territory, especially on “Berserkir”. Drums are also very impressive, with Johan Johansson needing to adjust his tempo quite a bit throughout the album, sometimes within the same track, and there’s also a lot of percussion, which is used quite nicely. Production is perfect, with everything being mixed nicely, and it all sounds very powerful, as expected. Unsurprisingly, though, the album’s biggest strength is the vocals, with Mats Nilsson continuing to provide excellent backing vocals and narration, while Ylva Eriksson and Joakim Lindbäck Eriksson continue to steal the show as a lead vocalist duo. As on the previous album, Ylva takes lead most of time, and is more varied in her approach, sometimes singing more lightly, other times singing with more intensity, but always sounding super smooth, while Joakim is intense at all times, using a style that comes close to growling, while still singing nicely in tune, and while he sounds great when he takes lead, he’s at his best singing along with Ylva during choruses, which are absolutely fantastic as always.
It takes no time for the album to get started, as it does away with intros and instead kicks off with “Sowlio”, a slow-paced, but very epic track, which opens up with cinematic symphonic elements, before some melodic, classic heavy metal guitar work with a slight folk undertone kicks in. The opening verse is fairly heavy, with some nice guitar work in the background, while Ylva leads the way with her vocals, while the chorus is a bit lighter and more melodic, not as epic or catchy as the band can be, but still very nice, with some fantastic vocal melodies. There’s a very nice, melodic guitar solo towards the end, which stands with the chorus as the highlights of the track. The pace picks up with “Flight of the Ravens”, one of the more classic power metal sounding tracks on the album. It opens up with some upbeat guitar work, soon supported by blistering drums and some rather cinematic symphonic metal elements, which carry on throughout the track. It’s a fast-paced, very epic track, with strong symphonic backing throughout, but it also has some heavy guitar work, and it’s one of the more explosive tracks on the album. The verses are fairly heavy, while the chorus is lighter and more melodic, without dropping the tempo in the least, and it’s one of the catchier, more melodic choruses on the album. There’s also a very closing section, with some excellent guitar work and vocals.
Next is “Giantslayer”, one of the heaviest tracks on the album. It opens up with some slightly subdued, but still heavy guitar work, mixed in with some epic chanting. It moves at a marching pace moving into the opening verse, which features some very chunky guitar work, leading into a chorus which starts off upbeat and melodic, before suddenly taking a crazy turn where everything slows down and heavy guitars and gang vocals take over, for a really epic chanting of the track’s title. There’s a very technical, heavy guitar solo in the middle, which is brief but quite intense. It’s quite an intense track on its own, but it’s followed up by “Heart of Stone”, which is probably the most crushing, heavy track the band has written so far. It moves at a slow pace and has a thrashy lead riff which feels influenced by Mystic Prophecy, along with slow, pounding drums which really help set the rhythm and tone for the track. Joakim leads the way throughout the opening verse and is animated and powerful, and then Ylva takes over for a bit during a more relaxed pre-chorus, before the two come together for a fairly epic, heavy chorus. It’s not one of my favorites on the album, but it is very well done, and the heavy guitar work is quite addicting, as is the chorus.
Things calm down for a pair of ballads, starting with Rivers of Gold, a folk-infused ballad, which has the feel of a song you might hear in a tavern, especially during the verses. It starts off softly, with very light guitar work and some nice percussion, and there’s a nice rhythm to the track. The verses are soft and feature some of Ylva’s lightest vocals, while the chorus features bursts of heavy guitar work and the vocals become more powerful and emotive, while still sounding quite beautiful. It’s a very beautiful track, overall, and continues the band’s streak of fantastic ballads. One track later, the trend continues further with “Blood Red Sky”, another folk-infused ballad, with some nice folk melodies in the guitar work, as well as bits of folk instrumentation used throughout. It has a very smooth flow to it, not having much of a chorus, instead alternating between verses with some incredibly beautiful vocals and folk instrumentation, connected together by a brief section where Ylva does some light chanting. The vocals are fantastic as always, but the instrumental work is especially beautiful, with a folk influenced guitar solo in the middle in particular being fantastic.
The pace picks up again with “Ratatos”, which opens up with a film score inspired symphonic intro, with a strong atmosphere to it. This continues throughout the track, which mixes together some rather dark sounding keys and symphonic elements, along with some heavy guitar work. The verses move at a fairly upbeat tempo, without going all out, while the chorus is full speed ahead, with explosive drums and blistering fast guitar work. It has a very classic power metal feel, and is one of the more fun and catchy choruses on the album, while having a dark atmosphere to it, and a slight theatrical feel. While the previous two tracks were sung mostly by Ylva, this track features a perfect mix of both vocalists, and it’s a fantastic track overall. Next is “Chasing Lights”, which starts off fairly slow, with some light melodic guitar work and keys. The verses are fairly laid back and soft, with a strong focus on vocal melodies, while the chorus speeds things up, and once again features a nice mix of both vocalists. It has a slightly lighter, more upbeat feel than the previous track, while moving at about the same tempo during the chorus, so it’s another one of the more fun and catchy tracks on the album.
I already mentioned it, but the one oddball track on the album is “Heavy Metal Viking”, which truly sounds like nothing else the band has ever done before, and not entirely in a good way. It starts off fine enough, with chunky guitar work, and a strong heavy metal feel, along with some slow, crushing drums. Once the opening verse kicks in, the guitars suddenly take on a bit of a southern rock feel, and once Ylva starts singing, her voice has a bit of a twang to it which I’ve never heard from her on any other track. She does a good job of it, but as someone who grew up listening to country music, I certainly wasn’t expecting this sound from Brothers of Metal, and the delivery just doesn’t quite feel right. The chorus is fun, catchy, and has some nice vocal melodies, and the bridge is fantastic, with some speedy power metal and fantastic vocals, leading into a brief southern rock style guitar solo. Sadly, the last verse is ruined by a use of censorship, which isn’t something that would usually bother me, but here the effect is so loud and obnoxious, it bothers my ears. I also find Ylva’s vocal delivery to be a bit forced on the final run through the chorus, though I do love Nil’s narration, as always. The AC/DC reference is also pretty cool Overall, it’s not a bad track, and it has grown on me somewhat over time, but it definitely sticks out compared to anything else the band has ever done, and it’s by far my least favorite song of theirs.
Thankfully, “The Other Son of Odin” (the first single released back in 2022), is a much better track, moving at a fast pace, with more of a classic power metal feel to it. There’s some very nice melodic lead guitar work, and the verses are somewhat subdued and relaxed, with some nice melodies, while the chorus speeds things up has some fantastic vocal melodies and instrumental work, with Ylva leading the way, while Joakim provides some epic backing vocals. There is one odd moment during the second verse, with a Judas Priest reference that doesn’t fully land, but otherwise, it’s an excellent track. The second single released in 2022 was “Berserkir”, which is up next, and it’s also fantastic. It’s another fast-paced, very guitar driven track, with bits of symphonic metal and a slight heavy metal feel to some of the slower, heavier bits. For the most part, though, the instrumental work feels like it came straight from an Amon Amarth track, with a strong MDM feel to the main riff and the overall tempo of the track, and Joakim delivers some epic near growls, leading into a sort of core style breakdown towards the end. It’s a very intense track, but also a very fun one, with a very catchy, melodic chorus, and it shows off the heavier side of the band quite nicely.
Moving back to the softer side of things, “Nanna’s Fate” is a very beautiful symphonic metal ballad, once again having a slight folk feel to some of the melodies. The opening verse is very light and beautiful, with some soft acoustic guitar work and very soft vocals from Ylva, while the chorus features slightly heavier guitar work, and some absolutely gorgeous vocal harmonies between the two vocalists, as well as some very emotional lyrics. It’s an excellent track, and probably the most typical sounding of the three ballads on the album, but it’s very well done, and has some fantastic vocals and instrumental passages. Closing out the album is the title track, which is one of the most epic and cinematic tracks on the album, with tons of symphonic arrangements used throughout the track, mixed in with some very nice melodic guitar work. The opening verse is fairly slow-paced and intense, with some heavy guitar work, and Joakim takes lead for a while, until the pace picks up slightly and Ylva joins for a nice duet. The guitar gets heavier leading towards the chorus, with an intense section where Joakim again takes lead, and then the chorus itself is more upbeat and melodic, while still being quite epic and cinematic, and it has a nice mix of both vocalists. The track alternates nicely between slow and speedy passages, and it has an epic feel to it, fitting for the lyrical themes. There’s a very nice, if ominous, bit of narration towards the end, leading into the final run of the chorus. Overall, it’s an excellent ending to an excellent album.
I was initially a bit nervous about Fimbulvinter, mostly due to that one less than impressive single but as usual, I should have known that the full album would turn out fantastic, as always from Brothers of Metal. It builds nicely off of their previous two albums, with a varied collection of epic viking themed anthems, and it has the same excellent dual lead vocals as always, along with some excellent instrumental work, and consistently excellent songwriting across its different moods and styles, outside of that one aforementioned misfire. Longtime fans of the band are sure to love this album, while anyone looking for some great power metal, with a mix of symphonic, folk and heavy metal elements, along with some fantastic vocals, would be highly recommended to give this album a shot. I slightly prefer the first two albums, but this is still excellent stuff, as always.
Ratings: 9/10
Written by: Travis Green
My Global Mind – Staff Writer
Travis Green is a Canadian based writer for My Global Mind, with a particular passion for power metal, as well as an interest metal in all its forms.
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