This past weekend power metal outfit Brothers of Metal released its latest album in the form of Fimbulvinter. Released Friday through AFM Records, the 13-song album is the band’s third full-length studio recording. The 55-minute record will appeal widely to the band’s established audience base as well as plenty of power metal fans. That is due in large part to its featured musical arrangements. The lyrical content that accompanies those musical arrangements adds to the record’s interest and will be discussed a little later. The record’s production puts the final touch to its presentation and will also be discussed later. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album’s presentation. All things considered they make Fimbulvinter a record that will appeal to a wide range of listeners.
Fimbulvinter, the latest album from power metal outfit Brothers of Metal, is an enjoyable addition to this year’s field of new power metal offerings. The album’s interest comes in large part through its featured musical arrangements. That is because of their familiarity. From one song to the next, the power metal opuses are all in the same stylistic vein as the songs featured in the band’s first two album, Prophecy of Ragnarok (2017) and Emblas Saga (2020). At the same time, the arrangements still manage their own identity separate from those works. What’s more, the songs here (as with the works in the band’s other albums) are just as easily comparable to works from fellow power metal act, All For Metal, and to a slightly lesser degree, Battle Born. On a side note, even the band’s look is a virtual mirror reflection to that of All For Metal. Getting back on the subject at hand, the musical material featured throughout the album does not necessarily break any new ground for Brothers of Metal but still does manage to keep things at least somewhat original. Keeping that in mind, the musical arrangements presented throughout the album give reason enough for audiences to take in this album.
Another reason for audiences to take in this record is its lyrical content. The lyrical themes presented throughout the album make for their own interest. Case in point is the late entry, ‘Heavy Metal Viking.’ Yes, the song is somewhat cheesy, what with its celebratory theme of being a proud metalhead and Viking enthusiast, but the very enthusiasm for metal is familiar territory in the metal community. The noted message is made clear in the song’s chorus, which states, “Some may call me crazy/They know nothing at all/’Cause I’m a heavy metal Viking/And I’m on a roll/See me rollin’ in my long boat/You’ll go out of control/I got a heavy metal Viking soul.” Again this is kind of cheesy but it is also fun and in turn is sure to entertain plenty of audiences.
The album’s opener, ‘Sowilo,’ is another example of the interest the album’s lyrical content generates. The song is a proud statement of determination. This is made clear right from the song’s outset, which finds vocalist Ylva Eriksson singing, “In the sign of the sun/Where I find my inspiration/I gain the power of the warrior/Pure and controlled/Just like the rays of justice/She will illuminate the darkest soul/Give me strength/Lead the way/Resisting the dark/There will be no death today/Rising up/Into the sky/With steel and the sun by my side/To victory/Turning my gaze to the night/Victorious and glorious we stand/My destiny/This is my only fight/The champion of light/And my flame is burning bright.” So again what audiences get here is that noted theme of determination and perseverance. It is presented here in that familiar folk metal/Viking metal fashion that others, such as Bloodborn have also done. Keeping that in mind, that familiarity is sure to engage audiences in its own right.
Themes of battle and Viking glory continue through the rest of the album, not just in these songs. From ‘The Other Son of Odin’ to ‘Ratatosk’ to ‘Rivers of Gold’ and ‘Heart of Stone,’ those familiar Norse themes echo time and again. The same applies in ‘Giant Killer,’ too. Keeping this in mind, the lyrical themes featured throughout Fimbulvinter prove just as familiar for audiences as the album’s musical arrangements. Keeping that in mind, the album’s musical and lyrical content pair to make the record that much more appealing for the band’s established audiences and those familiar with the band’s familiar kind of work.
One more item to note in examining this album is its production. Considering all of the symphonic and operatic elements alongside the album’s heavier power metal leanings, there is a lot going on throughout the album. The work that went into balancing all of those elements succeeded, giving audiences the best of each element from one song to the next. The positive aesthetic that the production creates puts the finishing touch to the whole presentation, completing the musical picture herein. When the positive impact of the album’s overall content is considered alongside the record’s production, the whole makes Fimbulvinter a record that casual power metal fans will find worth hearing at least once while the band’s established audiences will likely find even more appeal. All in all, Fimbulvinter proves an interesting addition at least to this year’s field of new power metal offerings.
Fimbulvinter is available now through AFM Records. More information on the album is available along with all of Brothers of Metal’s latest news at https://facebook.com/brothersofmetalofficial.
