Ymir

There is little music on earth that bears the sheer power and impact of grim, pagan black metal. Quality stuff can be hard to come by these days, with many current bands merely imitating bands who were themselves merely imitating the bands who actually developed the style, so hearing the long-awaited LP from one of the 90s Finnish scene's finest is a real treat.

The album starts out on a high note with some exceptionally well-developed atmospheric keyboards - no primitive necro Casio plunking here. This leads quickly into a monolithic 9-minute opener chock-full of icy Finnblack riffs, including a main theme that - to my ears, at least - seems to reverently call back to the vocal melody of Bathory's classic "Song to Hall Up High". This first track is called "Pagan Mysticism", an apt title for the introduction to an album which evokes the mystique and magic of the North's pagan past in every tremolo riff and left-field chord change.

It is indeed the guitars that steal the show for much of the runtime, recalling what made 90s black metal so compelling without coming across as cheap or insincere for even a second. However, the rhythm section and vocals deserve just as much credit. The drums are brilliantly performed and just as brilliantly produced, with a strong attack on each note and mixing that lets each component of the drum set breathe without getting in the way of the vocals or guitar leads. This effect is only strengthened by a rock-solid bass guitar which never fails to lock in with the drums, providing a steady foundation that many extreme metal bands could only dream of.

And the vocals - my GOD, the vocals. They're worth a 90% all on their own, from the wildly varied styles to the production; coated in reverb and sat just behind the guitars in the mix, it truly sounds as though ancient howls and whisperings are making their way through time, conjured up by eremitic sorcerers in the frigid, forested wastes.

Don't let its recent release turn you away - this is an absolute must-listen for anyone invested in the 90s black metal sound, meloblack, or Finnish black metal in general. At just over 35 minutes, it's a quick listen - but it's one that's sure to make an impression.